Becoming Moony
by trendyfishie89
Summary: No one knows much about Remus Lupin, until now. Follow the life and trials of R.J. Lupin, from the bite until the final battle. Love, tragedy,and humor. SLASH! SB X RL, JP X LE.
1. Bitten

Disclaimer: None of this is mine. I wish it were but its not. Now if JK wants to give it to me for Christmas I would be perfectly fine with it.

Notes: I am back, hopefully for good this time. I used to go by MalfoysGurl2004 but no longer. I hope that you enjoy this series of stories as much as I enjoy writing them. I will attempt to get them up as fast as humanly possible, but I cannot promise miracles. I did have a soundtrack for this story but I have gone and lost it. I will try and post it with the next chapter/ story. **I have no beta; anyone who wishes to beta for me is welcome to send me a review or such communicational thing to let me know. Thank you.**

Becoming Moony: Bitten

It was a warm August night, with the bugs chirping all around, and the sounds of a small creek trickling by. The full moon shone down upon a small boy waking in a field.

Remus Lupin was a delicate five-year-old, small and golden. He was also being very naughty. His mama had told him not to go outside at night, but how could he, how could anyone, ignore such a warm and wonderful night like this? So Remus, being as quiet as he could, snuck out of his bed, stole down the stairs and out the back door. Now he wandered as freely as a bird, exploring his surroundings with the curiosity of a weasel.

The sudden snapping of a twig brought Remus's attention to a small alcove created by bushes. A pair of yellow eyes gleamed out from the darkness. Remus was not frightened, however, as it was, quite obviously, a dog of some sort and Remus loved dogs of all shapes and sizes. He approached the mass slowly, not wanting to scare the canine into running away.

"Here doggy, doggy. Come ere, I won't hurt you." cajoled Remus, putting his hand out towards the animal.

As the lumbering mass came stumbling towards him, Remus realized his mistake. This was no ordinary dog. In fact, Remus didn't even think it was a dog anymore. As the canine moved into the moonlight, Remus choked out a startled scream. It was no dog, it was a wolf. A giant, salivating _werewolf_!

Remus started to stumble away, another scream stuck in his throat. As the grey wolf lunged at him, the scream that stuck stubbornly to him came bubbling up and out of his mouth. As the moon began to set, Remus Lupin's tortured screams echoed into the night.

/PAGE BREAK/

"Get out of my way! Get out of my way!" cried John Lupin, as he burst into the brightly lit reception area of St. Mungo's.

"Sir? What can I- sweet Merlin!" gasped the welcoming witch as she caught sight of the bloody body in John's arms.

"First floor. Dai Llewellyn ward." she managed to gasp out before the distraught father took off. All that remained behind him was a chattering crowd, a stunned receptionist, and a small puddle of blood that had seeped out of the large bite mark in Remus's side.

/PAGE BREAK/

"Mr. Lupin. Please be reasonable, you know what your son has become. There is no cure. Trust me, it will be much better for all parties involved if we-uh-euthanize him." stated Healer Goodwin, hoping to Merlin that his suggestion wouldn't get him slaughtered.

"How DARE you suggest such a thing! This is my son you're talking about. A beautiful, innocent child! How can you sat that wit a straight face? You disgust me." yelled the normally passive and non-confrontational father.

"All I'm saying Mr. Lupin, is that your son's life would be much easier if he wasn't a werewolf."

"What life? You're telling me to put him down like he was a rabid dog! There is no life in that. I'd rather live a thousand lies than spend one day without my son, knowing that I was the reason he was gone."

"Mr. Lupin-"

"No! Not another word, Healer Goodwin. As soon as he's well, I'm taking my baby boy home to where people give a damn to what happens to him."

Healer Goodwin sighed, "You'll need to register him. I'll have the Ministry send you the paperwork."

"Thank you." said John, his blue eyes colder than Antarctica.

/PAGE BREAK/

"My poor little baby. My poor little Remus. Don't you worry sweetheart, we'll take care of you." whispered Helena Lupin, kissing Remus's forehead.

"I love you mama." said Remus, blinking his, once pale green, now gold eyes up at her.

"I love you to my sweet baby."

Remus smiled and turned to his father, holding his bandaged arms out to him. John bent down to pick his child up. Looking into those loving, adoring eyes, John wondered how people could even suggest things like euthanization and not hate themselves.

"It'll be alright baby, you'll see."

Remus put his head on his father's shoulder and sighed. He hurt, but he had been a bad boy, he deserved it. He shouldn't have been outside at night. He shouldn't have gone near a strange animal. He shouldn't-.

"Remi, baby, you okay?"

No mama, I'm not okay. Not even a little bit. I'm sore and I don't feel well. I'm not okay at all. Remus's mind answered, even as he nodded at his mother.

"I'm okay mama. Tired."

"Of course you are sweetie. Terrible place hospitals don't know how anyone sleeps. Go and put him to bed John."

"Come on Rem. Naptime." said John, carrying Remus to his little room at the top of the stairs. As Remus lay in bed, he thought. His last thought as he succumbed to the Sandman's ministrations was that he was a monster and didn't deserve to live.

As the tear tracks dried on his face, a whisper sounded throughout the room.

"I'm a monster, mama."

/PAGE BREAK/

September's full moon loomed upon the Lupin family. It was to be Remus's first full moon as a werewolf. They had been preparing for days. A steel and silver studded cage had been installed in the shed out back. A bowl of food and water accompanied the blankets tat waited outside the cage door. Iron locks insured that intruders stayed out.

As the moon approached, sweet little Remus became crabbier and crabbier. Demanding raw meat, throwing things at his father, and yelling at his mother became his forte. Sweet and quiet Remus morphed into a temper tantrum throwing heathen, a thing that closely resembled the furry creature he held inside him.

At sunset Remus was placed into the cage. His clothes were taken, and several warm blankets were wrapped around him. Remus glared around at his meager surroundings. However, as his parents left with a sad look upon their faces, Remus's fear returned with a vengeance.

"Mama! Don't leave me. Mama!" cried Remus, trying to get out, but the silver in the bars kept him from getting to close. Outside he could hear Helena crying.

"MAMA! Mama! Papa! Don't leave me! I don't want to be by myself! Mama! Papa! Papa!" cried Remus, as the moon rose and the change began.

"PAPA!"

The cries of his only child tore at John's heartstrings but, as he held Helena back, he knew that they could not go to him. They could not risk Remus getting out. But how John wished he could take his son into his arms and tell him that it would be all right and over soon.

"Let's go back to the house. Helena, move, now. This will only cause more pain." said John, tugging on his wife's arms to get her to move.

"John, I can't just leave him. He's so little, he'll get hurt."

"Helena. You can do nothing to help him at this point. He has already changed." said John. It was true, a canine whimpering echoed in the elder Lupin's heads and hearts.

The Lupins retreated as far as the back porch before the cries of their canine son forced them to stay. They spent their night on the porch, waiting for the first moment of sunlight when they could wrap their arms around Remus again.

/PAGE BREAK/

Remus coughed weakly as he struggled to his knees. Where were his parents? He wanted them next to him. He wanted to know that they loved him and still wanted him. Remus felt dirty and most of it wasn't physical.

"Mama? Papa?" called Remus, his voice hoarse and scratchy.

"Remi? Remi! Hold on darling, we're coming! John, open the door, hurry."

Helena was in the door and opening the cage before John could even get one foot inside the shed.

"Helena, wait, he may be hurt. The healer said it was possible."

"Oh! Are you hurt Remi?"

"My leg hurts." said Remus, glancing down at the gash on his left leg.

"My poor baby. We have to get this bandaged right away. John!"

"I've got him Lena. Go get his bed ready." John said, kneeling to pick his baby up off of the unforgiving concrete floor.

"My poor Rem."

"Papa," said Remus, leaning forward to kiss his father's cheek. "Love you."

"Love you too Remi. I'm so sorry this happened to you."

" 'S not your fault papa."

"I should have protected you better."

" 'S okay papa. I love you." stated Remus, patting John's cheek with his tiny hand, prompting a smile from his forlorn father. John hugged Remus's small, battered body to him.

Helena met them at the entrance of Remus's room. She had fresh towels, antiseptic, bandages, and Remus's pajamas waiting. Also, accompanying her was a needle and some thread.

"Do you really think that's necessary? It's not a gaping wound."

"No chances John. I don't want these injuries becoming infected." said Helena, indignant that someone would suggest that she was going too far in the care of her baby.

"All right Lena, whatever you think is best." sighed John, rolling his eyes at Remus. Remus giggled and pulled the pajama to that his mama handed him on.

Helena snorted and narrowed her mint green eyes at her husband.

"Are you sassing me John William?"

John shook his head, "No ma'am, would I do that?"

"Yes you would papa." said Remus, trying to duck out of his father's arms.

"You would betray me like that? How horrible, I'm so wounded." cried John, flopping onto Remus's bed, cradling Remus against him so as not to hurt him worse.

"Papa!" squealed Remus, trying to get away from John's tickling fingers, "Save me, mama! Save me!"

"Always baby. Always." said Helena, before laughing and joining the happy fray.

As the small family settled down, they tried to ignore the reality of their situation, the hardships and struggles that loomed in front of their faces.

As Helena started bandaging Remus's leg, John sighed. He didn't wan to disturb what little peace the family had gained back. However, the illusion that they were a perfect, unsuspecting and innocent, family had been shattered. It had been shattered like the porcelain dish that the wolf had pulverized with a malicious intent last night. John was very conflicted, he didn't know what to do with the tiny boy that, now, lay asleep in his arms. Society pushed to shun werewolves, but his heart and mind told him that shunning a little boy, who had no control over the situation, was a stupid and idiotic thing to do. Still, John wondered what life would bring for his precious child.

"Papa?" mumbled Remus sleepily.

"Yes?"

"Love you."

"Love you too baby."

Remus fell asleep with fresh bandages and a smile on his face. And John thought that, just maybe, things weren't as bad as they seemed.

Notes: Well there you have it. Review if you like, thanks if you do, your loss if you don't. If you flame me I will use this as family dinner fodder, and will laugh hysterically at you and your pathetic-ness. Thank you.


	2. First Sight

Disclaimer: Once again, nothing is mine. NOTHING, NOTHING, NOTHING!

Notes: Hello one and all, and welcome to another exciting episode of Becoming Moony! I'm your host Trendyfishie89 and I hope you enjoy.

Becoming Moony: First Sight

"Gryffindor!"

As the Sorting Hat was lifted from his tawny haired head, Remus chanced a glance around the hall. The Slytherins were cheerless of course, the Ravenclaws were bright eyed and ready to learn, the Huffepuffs were content in their lackadaisical pursuits. The Gryffindors were going nuts for a boy they knew nothing about. Cheering for a lack luster ragamuffin, with shabby robes and tired golden eyes. It made Remus droop with exhaustion even thinking about it.

As Remus sat at the Gryffindor table, his insecurities came rushing back to him. What if no one liked him? What if everyone thought he was a freak?

Remus was so deep in his insecurities that he never noticed the pitcher of pumpkin juice that hovered just above his collar. He did notice, however, when it poured itself down the back of his robes.

"AAIEEEEE!" Remus's scream reverberated around the Great Hall, being magnified infinitely. There was a deep and dead silence, then a sudden crescendo of raucous laughter. Remus became as read as a ripe tomato. This was not the way he wanted to start school.

Remus stood blushing and humiliated in front of the entire school, dripping with pumpkin juice. Professor McGonagall stood to address the problem.

"Scourgify," said McGonagall, clearing the juice up and off of Remus. "Mr. Black, Mr. Potter, my office after the feast."

As Remus sunk back into his chair, face still red with embarrassment, he turned and found the two boys who had drenched him snickering into their hands.

One boy was shorter than most boys, not including Remus, who was the smallest, had hazel eyes, black hair that looked as though it had been through a tornado, and wore glasses. The other was of average size, had grey eyes that sparkled with laughter. He also had black hair but it laid flat. They both had a haughtiness that came only with purebloods. They were, also, freshly sorted Gryffindors. Wonderful, thought Remus, life really wasn't fair.

"How rude, I'd smack them if I could without getting into trouble." said the girl who sat across from him. Remus glanced up at her, a shy smile on his face. Maybe he had found a friend, however temporary, after all.

"Me too." said Remus.

"I'm Lily Evans by the way."

"I'm Remus Lupin."

"It's nice to meet you Remus."

"Its nice to meet you too."

All too soon dessert had been cleared away and Dumbledore was standing to address the school.

"Welcome, students, t a new year at Hogwarts. A notice to the first years, the Forbidden Forest is just as its name suggest, forbidden. Also, the newly planted Whomping Willow is strictly off limits to all students who do not wish to be seriously injured."

Remus squirmed uncomfortably. That particular willow had been planted for him. For his disease more like. Grievous injury indeed. Death by werewolf.

/page break/

As Remus awoke the next morning, he knew something was off. He couldn't feel the softness of the mattress, which was strange because Remus was sure he didn't sleepwalk.

Remus blinked open his eyes and closed them again when he realized why he couldn't feel his bed anymore. He was being levitated up near the ceiling of the dorm room. Te problem was though, that the spell was paper-thin. One move and e would go down. Of course, at this particular moment, that was the only way down.

Remus sighed and threw the blankets off of himself and down to the floor. He just hoped that the bed linens broke his fall just the tiniest bit. Remus then moved two kilometers to the left and fell.

The landing was not painless, but it didn't hurt as much as it would have considering that the linens fell into the correct place.

Remus scrambled upward when his eyes landed on his watch. He was late. On his first day nonetheless. In record time he was dressed and down the stairs, out of the common room, and sprinting madly down the corridor. Running so fast that he ran smack into somebody coming around the corner. Somebody much larger than him.

"Watch where you are going pipsqueak." said the body.

Remus glanced up and concluded two things. One, that this blue eyes blonde was a seventh year and two, that he really didn't like Remus very much.

"I'm so sorry, its just, I'm late and-"

"Does it look like I care?" snarled the blonde. Remus wondered if this was a trick question, because, judging by the Head Boy badge on his robes, he should care.

"I…um- I-"

"Leave the kid alone Malfoy." came a voice from behind the Head Boy.

"Back off McAvoy. I'll deal with this."

"Not when you're scaring his so bad that he looks like he's going to cry. Go to class, now." said McAvoy, the Ravenclaw Head Girl.

"We are not through McAvoy."

"Of course not darling. Move on."

Malfoy stormed off in a huff, his long blonde hair swinging to and fro.

"Sorry about him, he's such an ass." said McAvoy, coming to stand next to Remus.

"I'm Aisling McAvoy. You are…?"

"Remus."

"Well Remus, you are very late did you know?"

"Yeah." said Remus, blushing.

"Shall we get your schedule and get you to class then?" asked Aisling.

"Yes, please."

"So polite! You're going to be a heartbreaker, I know it."

Remus blushed again and Aisling laughed. They started down the hall.

/page break/

Remus eventually got to class, twenty minutes late. Professor H. Slughorn was not happy about it.

"Mr. Lupin! In the future, if my class begins at nine o'clock in the morning, I fully expect you to be here at nine o'clock in the morning. Are we clear?"

"Yes Professor Slughorn. I'm very sorry."

"Sorry doesn't cover it Lupin. Not at all, but have a seat, next to Mr. Snape will be fine."

"Yes sir." whispered Remus, sitting next t a greasy haired boy. The boy looked at Remus quickly, then away just as fast. A Slytherin, thought Remus, yay me.

Professor Slughorn moved on quickly enough. He started mumbling on about some shrinking potion and left most students to their own devices. Remus turned his head slightly to look at the boy, Snape. He wasn't much to look at on first sight. but once you got past the slightly nasty state of his hair you could see him better.

Snape had a Romanesque quality about him, one's that would surely develop more as he matured. He could be rather nice looking if he would wash his hair and take the scowl off his face.

"Stop staring at me." said Snape, turning to glare at Remus.

"Sorry." replied Remus, turning to look at his text. He hadn't meant to stare. He heard Snape sigh and turn again.

"Never mind. It just makes me nervous."

Remus smiled, maybe Snape was okay after all.

"Do you want to get the ingredients?" Remus asked, "Or do you want me too?"

"You go get hem. I'll set the cauldron up. M y name is Severus by the way."

"I'm Remus, nice to meet you." replied Remus as he got up.

The rest of class passed smoothly, if you didn't count the constant glaring of Potter and Black. Remus found out that Severus, for all his unpleasantness, was a very good potion brewer and that he was not. But Severus was, mostly, patient. He explained what Remus had done wrong and what he could do to correct it. Severus, Remus thought, would make a good teacher.

The day had been starting to get better, until the bell to end class was rung. Then things took a turn for the worse. Black and Potter had caught up to where Severus and Remus were talking about the merits of muggle literature.

"Hey look James. It's Loony Lupin and Spiteful Snape. What a pair." sneered Black, glaring at the two.

"I believe you are right, Sirius. We shouldn't let this wonderful opportunity pass us by." said Potter, a conspiratorial look upon his features.

Remus quickly glanced at Severus, who looked as nervous as he felt. Judging by what had happened this morning, being cornered by these two wasn't good.

"What should we do to them James?"

"I don't know Sirius How about we-"

"Leave them alone you brutes." cried Lily, coming up behind the two pranksters.

"Why should we?" asked Black, sneering at her. Remus glanced at Potter, briefly. His face had gone slack and his eyes wide.

A crush maybe? thought Remus.

"Now Sirius, maybe we should listen to her." stuttered Potter, turning red as he looked at Lily.

Definitely a crush. Remus smirked, maybe this could be used to their advantage later on.

"What! What do you mean 'listen to her'? She's just being a nosy do-gooder."

As Potter and Black argued, Remus felt a nudge against his elbow. Remus glanced at Severus, who motioned down the hall. Lily had disappeared the moment it looked like Potter was going to go after her. Remus nodded and together they moved toward freedom.

/page break/

Remus smiled. Potter and Black wouldn't know what hit them. It wasn't that Remus hated them, he just didn't like the fact that they picked on people that they considered below themselves. Remus was helping the downtrodden, or trodden upon, pick themselves back up after Potter and Black were through. Besides, like Potter and Black said, a little prank never hurt anyone.

/page break/

Remus made sure he was down in the Great Hall early the next morning. This promised to be entertaining and Remus didn't want to miss a thing.

The hall was moderately crowded, mostly students and few professors, a good audience size. Remus hoped that people appreciated this, it had taken him weeks to find and memorize the spells for this. It had taken him longer to learn them and to put the spells into action. It was going to be very worth it in the end.

Remus straightened as Black and Potter cam gallivanting into the hall, talking loudly. Cue magical DNA tracer, cue tilting spell thought Remus. A huge bucket of liquid rubber tipped from the doorway, hidden by a concealing spell, until it hit with a sickening squelch over the two boys. Black's jaw dropped open as he stare at his sticky body. Potter stood completely still, shocked into a standstill.

The Hall was silent, but Remus wasn't done yet. Cue time-release spell and wind spell. A huge blast of fluffy yellow feathers rained down upon the students, sticking where ever they fell, which meant Potter and Black were covered. And the rubber was quick drying, meaning they were stuck. Remus grinned. A modern tar and feathering, lovely.

As one the school began to laugh. McGonagall stood, and Remus had a vague sense of déjà vu.

"Who is the person responsible for this? Hmm?" she shouted, waving her wand to get rid of the extra feathers. Nobody said a word. Only Remus knew and he wasn't telling.

"Very well, but if I find out who did this he punishment will be severe. Potter, Black, go……clean yourselves up."

Remus snickered into his oatmeal, this was too good. Lily leaned over and gave him a thumbs up. Severus couldn't stop smirking into his toast, and a couple of professors were trying not to laugh.

As Remus dropped off his morning textbooks he could still hear the two boys trying t get the, now dry, rubber off. Remus peered into the bathroom and was met with a sight. The two boys were sitting cross-legged on the tile floor. They were both naked except for their underwear and were fervently trying to scrub the rubber off of each other's faces. Remus giggled.

The boys looked up at the sound. Remus started to back away, no good could come from them knowing he was here.

"Hey Lupin! Come 'ere. We aren't going to hurt you." called Black.

"Much." mumbled Remus, but he went against his instincts and stood still while the two approached.

"Did you do this to us?" asked Potter, not in anger, but, surprisingly, in awe.

"Yes." Remus mumbled out, ready to bolt at the first sign of violence. Instead, Black and Potter looked first at each other and then at him. A smile blossomed on each of their faces.

"Lupin….that was bloody awesome! How did you get those spells to stick like that?" shouted Black, as he grabbed Remus around the neck.

"Yeah, ours are always thin and they don't work well. Will you help us?" asked Potter, a hopeful look on his face.

"Help you? Why should I help you? You spent the first weeks of school making me feel miserable and you tried at every end to make sure I had no friends. Why should I help you? Give me one good reason." bellowed Remus, throwing Black's arm off of him. How could these boys even think about asking him to help them make others miserable.

Black and Potter had the good grace to look sheepish. They scuffed their feet against the floor and hung their feather infested, rubber covered, heads.

"We were just having fun." murmured Black, looking up at Remus, through his eyelashes.

"You were having fun? How could making someone feel like crap be fun? I am astounded that you would even deem me thick enough to consider helping you out. " Remus shouted, throwing his hands up in the air.

"But-"

"No," said Remus, "We're through here."

/page break/

As the full moon loomed above him, he had a last coherent thought before the change was completed. Maybe he was wrong about Black and Potter, just like he had been wrong about Severus. Maybe they were decent blokes. And maybe it would be just a little worth it if he helped them out. The pranks may not as awful if Remus could influence it.

/page break/

Remus stumbled up to the dorm, completely exhausted. Changing always took so much out of him. He just hoped that no one had noticed his two-day infirmary stay.

"Hey Lupin, where've you been?" came Black's voice. Remus sighed, it was just too much to ask for one thing to go his way wasn't it?

"I had to visit my mother. She's been sick." lied Remus, automatically feeling terrible. He hated lying, it made him feel so guilty.

"That's too bad. Did you think about our proposition any?" asked Potter.

Remus laughed mentally, of course he had thought about it, how could he not. He just hoped his decision wouldn't blow up in his face.

"I guess helping you wouldn't be so bad. It might be a little safer if I did?" Remus posed the last as a question, wondering how the boys would answer.

"Oh, sure! Of course, it would totally be safer, because you know how Flitwick is always harping on about spell safety." said Potter, wringing his hands in his excitement.

Black was actually dancing around the room, he was so excited. He looked absolutely ridiculous. Remus laughed at the sight, Black had no shame, did he?

"My name is James and this maniac is Sirius."

"I'm Remus."

"Remus? Jeez, am I the only one here with a normal name?" asked James, a smile on his face.

"Naw, you're the only weirdo. Normal names are so taboo now, didn't you know?" said Sirius, slinging an arm around James's shoulders.

"He obviously didn't get the memo." quipped Remus, hoping that he didn't sound too stupid.

Sirius and James stared for a moment, then Sirius broke the silence. "Wow, how did we miss this guy, Jamie. He's hilarious."

"I don't know how we missed him." replied James, nudging Sirius. "Maybe its because he's always in the library."

Remus bristled as the two laughed, "Maybe if you two visited the library once in a while, your spell work wouldn't be so shoddy."

"Whoa, we were just joking with you." said James.

"It wasn't funny." returned Remus, still miffed about the library dig.

"Okay, no more library jokes." said Sirius, putting his arm around Remus's shoulders, which Remus found very disorienting. He had never had that many friends and certainly none of them ever touched him in this casual a manner. Severus was obviously not a touchy feely person and Lily, while very sweet, had certain boundaries that didn't permit her to be that casual. It probably came from her muggle upbringing, or maybe it was a religious deal. Whatever their reason, it wasn't a usual occurrence and Remus wasn't sure what he was supposed to do with his hands.

Remus gently put his arm around Sirius's mid back, in hopes that this was the correct thing to do in such a silly predicament. Sirius glanced over at him with a quick smile before returning his attention to the now sitting, and plotting, James.

"It'll be great Sirius! We'll be sure to get things done right now. No more botched and messy spells. No funny colorings after experimenting."

"Wait." said Remus, "You've been experimenting? Do you have any idea how dangerous that is? And what do you mean by 'funny colorings'?" asked Remus, beginning to understand just how these boys' minds work.

"Err…nothing. No funny colors." laughed Sirius nervously, glaring at James. Remus glanced at Sirius, a smile gracing his features. This was obviously a sore subject. No funny colors indeed.

"Ah so that wouldn't be a pink spot behind your ear then?" asked Remus, pointing just behind Sirius' right ear.

"WHAT! James, you told me they were all gone!" yelled Sirius, getting ready to throttle James. Remus laughed at them both, James who was trying to get away, protesting and Sirius who was trying to get a hold of the squirming James.

"I'm innocent I swear. There's no spot!" cried James, putting his hands in front of his face.

"There's no spot? Why would Remus say there was a spot if there wasn't a-" Sirius turned to look at a mischievous looking Remus who was trying to look as innocent as possible.

"Oh I see, it 's 'Let's All Laugh At Sirius Day' isn't it? Ha, bloody, ha." grumbled Sirius, breaking into a reluctant smile. Remus laughed again.

Maybe these two weren't so bad after all.

/page break/

The next morning Remus felt the consequences of his rather hasty actions. When he swept into the Great Hall, Sirius and James hot on his heels, the entire hall turned to gawk at the strange spectacle. Why was the brainy loser hanging with the most popular first years in school? James and Sirius were, rather surprisingly, the most popular first years. No one could quite understand why this had happened, other than sunspots, but nobody challenged it.

Remus blushed as the stares turned to him, why did they have to whisper and point as well as stare? It was bad enough that they all felt the need to stare. Then again, Remus mused, this was a boarding school. Enough said, when there was juicy gossip nobody was safe from the harrowing experience of teenage angst.

Lily looked on in amazement as Remus walked by her, the other two boys chattering on about nothing and everything. He shrugged at her and smiled. She gave a half smile, half grimace back. It was if she was saying, 'I'm sorry you're insane, but whatever floats your boat.'

Remus's luck took another dip as he headed towards Herbology, which the Gryffindors had with Slytherins. Even though Remus called to him several times, Severus ignored him the whole way down and brushed him off as Remus sat next to the boy.

"Severus? What's wrong?" asked Remus, as they cleaned up their workspace. Most of the students were on their way to lunch, Sirius and James heading the mad dash to the Hall.

"What's wrong? What's wrong! How could you ask me that?" snapped Severus, as he took off for the castle. Remus quickly followed him.

"Is this about me hanging out with Sirius and James?"

"Oh, so they're Sirius and James now are they?"

"Well, yes. You wouldn't call your friends by their last names would you?"

"I wouldn't know now would I?"

"Severus?"

"After all, friends wouldn't go and 'hang out' with their friends rivals now would they?" snarled Severus, as he whipped away, leaving Remus standing on the tattered and torn remains of his first friendship.

Remus tried to keep his emotions in check, but the hurt that Severus had embedded like a knife into Remus's heart was too much to handle. He sat on the hard stone floor and cried. Tears trickled down his chin and onto the fabric of his second hand robes. He knew it was too good to be true. A werewolf like him can't have real friends. They can only have acquaintances. People to whom you could talk to but nobody you could trust with anything.

"Hey, don't listen to that stupid, greasy git. He's just jealous that you're able to make friends." came Sirius's voice from above him. Remus looked up, his eyes clouded with unhappiness. Sirius sat down next to him and wrapped an arm around Remus.

"You're so much better than he is anyway. You're nice and you actually give a hippogriff's rear about what happens to people. Snape's just being pissy because he isn't and he knows it."

"Sirius that's not-"

"It is! It is true. And don't let anyone tell you otherwise." Sirius proclaimed, before getting up and putting his hand out to Remus.

"Let's get to lunch before I have to hurt someone."

"But-"

"Let's go, Remmie." Remus stopped in the middle of rising. Nobody called him that anymore. Not even his mother.

"What? What'd I say?" asked Sirius, looking worried at Remus's wide expression.

"Nothing," started Remus, rising fully, "It's just, only my mother called me that. And now she doesn't even call me that."

"Oh. Do you mind, because I won't call you that if you don't want me to." stammered Sirius as they approached the Great Hall.

"No. It's fine." Remus smiled at Sirius as they took their seats.

"What's fine?" asked James, who was busy stuffing his face with Shepherd's pie and buttered rolls. Lily looked on with unconcealed disgust. It appeared that Lily had sat down and had James plop down next to her. A match made in heaven, thought Remus sarcastically.

"Nothing you need to know about, Jimmy." stated Sirius, before putting a huge glob of mashed potatoes, drowned in gravy, into his mouth. Remus glanced away, repulsed. Hadn't his mother, his pureblood mother at that, taught him manners. Then again Remus had heard about Walburga Black from his father. She was very uptight; maybe this was another way that Sirius was rebelling against her tight regime. By being as disgusting as humanly possible, lovely.

"Sirius, you do realize that that is disgusting right?" asked Remus, throwing a napkin in James direction because he had spluttered spuds everywhere in indignation over his new nickname.

"Aw, look it! Remmie's being all mother-hen like." said Sirius.

"Sirius, you want to be smacked around don't you?" asked Remus, glancing concernedly at James who had choked and was slowly turning blue. Lily was pointedly ignoring all three of them.

"Oh you know it." laughed Sirius, leering at Remus. He blushed, how dirty. Sirius really needed to learn to control himself.

"DO NOT CALL ME JIMMY!" yelled James. Apparently he had cleared his throat and was back on the previous topic, and expressing his displeasure very vocally.

"Whatever you say Jimmy." said Sirius, being deliberately obtuse.

As James reached across the table to throttle Sirius, he knocked a bowl of cranberry sauce into Lily's lap. Her enraged scream, and James's horrified expression, was the background to Remus's laughter. Maybe things wouldn't be so terrible here after all.

A/N: Well there you have it. Number two. Leave a review if you like, they make me dance up and down and scare my brother, which is lots of fun. If you don't leave one, then oh well. Thanks!


	3. Found Out

Becoming Moony: Found Out

Disclaimer: How many times…? Oh well. I do not own the puppies. I do not own Harry Potter. I do not own Daniel Radcliffe; if I did he would wear leather pants.

A/N: Again, again. Here is Number Three. I think that this is the longest I've ever spent on a story. Or a vignette, which is what this probably is. Enjoy yourselves!

The small explosion that rocked the second year boy's dorm did not cause any alarm. These small, but annoying, noises were nothing new. In fact, the residents of Gryffindor tower were so used to them, they didn't even jump at loud noises anymore. However, if anyone was to ask, they knew absolutely nothing about what the boys who lived in the dorm did up there. If a professor inquired about the noise, they replied with 'what noise?' and 'Oh, that. It's nothing.' It made people feel quite out of the loop. Nobody seemed to know what they did, and if they knew, nobody was telling.

Up in the dorm, James Potter coughed and blew smoke away from his sooty face. Sirius Black grinned like a maniac, coughing every so often. Remus Lupin rushed to the window and opened it, fearing for his brain cells. The newest member of their little group, Peter Pettigrew, sat on his bed wondering if every day was like this.

Peter Pettigrew, mused Remus, was an odd little boy. He had joined the Gryffindor tower halfway through the semester, no one knew too much about him. The small, mouse-like boy claimed that the school had not sent his letter and that was the reason for his year late arrival. Remus wasn't sure about that, McGonagall was very prompt and hated tardiness. For Peter to not receive his letter until nearly a year later was highly improbable. Remus thought that maybe this little boy had a secret like his. Well, not like his, but a secret nonetheless. The brown haired, brown-eyed boy was very plain, and seemed to know it. He was nearly silent and seemed to be almost ghost like.

It was very clear that Sirius was not overly fond of Peter. He went out of his way to make Peter miserable. James and Remus spent most of their time trying to keep Sirius from torturing Peter to suicide. It was a full time job, thought Remus, and we're only twelve years old. Sirius spent most of his time picking on Peter, annoying the professors with his laziness, and driving Severus insane.

Severus, thought Remus. Severus was a sore point. He still hadn't gotten over Severus' 'betrayal'. Oh Remus knew that it wasn't a true betrayal but his wolf didn't know the difference. The wolf viewed the loss of Severus as the loss of a pack member. His pack was small enough, Remus didn't know what he would do if another member was lost. Remus glanced around the round room, a smile breaking across his face. Sirius was busy laughing hysterically at James, who could not seem to get the putrid smelling soot off of his face and glasses. Peter smiled nervously at them both, obviously not getting exactly what was so funny.

"Sirius, if you don't get your sorry arse up and help me I will never forgive you." exclaimed James, rubbing frantically at his face.

"Sorry mate, this is pure gold. I can't just let you get away scotch free. I must taunt you to the full potential" said Sirius, throwing his arms dramatically into the air. Remus laughed, Sirius was a drama queen. A complete, and utter, drama queen. He delighted in causing a scandal, he gossiped with the best of them. He was often seen in the company of the notorious gossiper, Mariska Dawson. Mariska was a third year Hufflepuff and delighted in claiming that she was going to marry the hottest man in the entire fifth year class, Dante Patil. Whether this was true or not was completely irrelevant in the fact that she was one of the nosiest people in the entire school. The only one who could best her was Sirius' youngest cousin, Narcissa. Narcissa was a seventh year Slytherin. She was also the girl who was destined to marry Lucius Malfoy.

Remus scowled at the thought of Sirius' family. Sirius never said a thing about them, but he couldn't hide the bruises that littered his back. Remus would've thought that it was a discipline thing, but then he met Regulus. Regulus was Sirius's younger brother, a Slytherin. Regulus was so pampered that his snow-white skin had no blemishes and his hair was as dark as his name. He had the air of a pampered little prince, and if his clothing and school supplies were anything to go by, he was treated as royalty. Remus vaguely recalled Sirius looking like that, but the look had abruptly changed after the winter holidays. Remus also recalled a slightly pinched look, a look that summoned forth a barrage of emotions that Remus felt were not needed.

"Remus? Earth to Remus! Come in Remus!" called Sirius, poking at Remus' leg. Remus glanced down at him.

"Yes?"

"You alive up there? You didn't lose too many of your precious brain cells in the little explosion?" Sirius asked, leaning heavily on Remus' leg.

"No I didn't but you are going to make me fall over if you don't get up you great lump."

"Aw, are you calling me fat? Because I'm not fat you know, I'm perfect. Marlene Johnson said so."

"Oh, and Marlene Johnson is always right?" asked James, coming from the bathroom.

"When it comes to matters of the flesh, yes. Everyone says so."

"Oh and if everyone said it was cool to jump into the great lake in December, would you do it?"

"It depends."

"It _depends_?" exclaimed Remus.

"Yes it depends."

"On what?"

"Whether or not I would survive."

"Sirius, you are too much." laughed James.

"Yeah, too much for you." retorted Sirius, smacking James with the wet towel James had dropped on the floor. James gave a yelp and proceeded to chase Sirius around the dorm, slipping over the pink and purple dust that lay scattered across everything.

/page break/

It was a full moon again. Remus was once again in the Shrieking Shack and the desolate place was maddening. As the cracking of his bones signaled that the change was upon him, Remus gave a moment of thanks that his friends didn't have to go through this madness.

_The grass crunched gently beneath his paws. His golden eyes scanned the foliage for easy prey. A sudden rustling caught his attention, a rabbit bounded into the glen. He crouched low, waiting for the precise moment. Now! _

_As the bones crunched beneath his jaws, blood dripping down his muzzle, he turned pensive. He was so very lonely. A pack was what he needed. Someone to run with, to hunt with, to care for. He thumped his tail against the ground, the thought of a pack making him excited. _

_He raised his furry head and howled at the Goddess that had placed this dreaded curse upon him. Curse me all you wish, he thought, but give me someone to be with. A friend, a mate even. _

When Remus climbed to his feet the ext morning, aided by Madam Pomphrey, a sense of determination had come over him. A feeling that Remus could not recall having felt since he was invited to attend Hogwarts, so long as he kept his grades up and never told anyone about his dreadful disease.

/page break/

Sirius sat, a pensive look upon his visage. He wondered where Remus was, where he really was. Because, in all honesty, his flimsy excuse that his mother was sick was odd. I mean how many times can one person be sick? thought Sirius, banging his head against the window he was leaning on. His mother had been sick with everything; mumps, chicken pox, shingles, influenza, pneumonia, everything except death. Which in itself wasn't really a disease. Sirius wondered why Remus felt the need to lie when he disappeared, if he didn't want to tell them where he went, he didn't have to.

Remus disappeared at the oddest of times as well. It was almost always at sunset, or just before. It was at least once a month as well. He was gone for twenty-four hours at a time, sometimes longer. He was a very 'night' person also, he loved sitting up at night with a god book.

It was strange but it almost seemed as if he disappeared around the same time each month. It was clockwork, or a…lunar cycle.

Sirius jumped up from his spot on the windowsill and rushed to Remus' trunk. Remus kept a very detailed lunar chart in his trunk, Sirius had seen it once or twice. As Sirius swept his hands through the organized trunk, James came stumbling into the room.

"I have met love, and she has a great right hook." sighed James, sitting on his bed, a dazzled look on his face.

"Lily hit you again didn't she?" asked Sirius, still frantically searching for the chart.

"Yes. One day she will see reason. What are you doing?" asked James, peering at the mess Sirius was making of Remus's trunk.

"I'm trying to prove a theory."

"A theory that requires going through Remus's things? Great theory." said James, sarcasm evident in his tone.

"It's just…haven't you noticed that he always disappears around the same time every month. And that he seems to be exhausted when he comes back?"

"Well, if my mom was sick all the time, I probably wouldn't feel so great either."

"It's not that. What is his mom sick with this time?"

"Erm….strep throat wasn't it?"

"But didn't she have that last year? And didn't Remus say that she had gotten her tonsils out the month after that?"

"So?"

"So, its extremely difficult to get strep throat if you do not have tonsils!" Sirius finished with a yell. James glanced down at the ground, thinking.

"I guess you're right. What else could he be doing then?"

"I have a hunch, I just don't like it." Sirius said, pulling out the elusive chart and holding it close to his face.

"What is this hunch then?" asked James, coming to sit on the floor next to the deliberating Black.

"I'm not going to tell you just yet. I need more proof." claimed Sirius, rolling up the chart. Sirius didn't want to create a panic if there wasn't anything wrong. Calling 'fire' in a crowded room never had anything good come from it. Maybe nothing was wrong; maybe Sirius was adding two and two and, for some reason, getting five. Still what would happen if he was right? Sirius didn't want to think about it.

He was raised to hate such things. They were foul and evil animals. But Remus wasn't, he wasn't some animal that deserved to be put down. Remus was nice and smart. He certainly didn't have fleas. Sirius thought hard, what would happen if Remus Lupin really was a werewolf?

/page break/

Remus stumbled tiredly into the Charms classroom, ten minutes late. As he collapsed into a chair next to Peter, he saw Sirius glance at him, a strange look upon his face. What was that for, wondered Remus, Sirius had never looked at him like that before.

It was a good thing that the teachers generally left him alone after a full moon; he was so out of it. Remus floated through Charms on a golden-laced cloud. He barely heard a word that Flitwick said and when the bell chimed he sat like a rock, not comprehending. It was only when James poked his arm did he respond to anything.

"You alright Remus? Your mum's okay right?" asked James as they walked toward Herbology.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, she's fine." replied Remus; almost making the mistake of asking James what he was talking about.

"That's good. We wouldn't want her to be really sick or anything."

"Yeah." said Remus, the guilt coming back full force.

"Your mum seems to be sick a lot." commented Sirius, almost accusingly. Remus flinched; he sincerely hoped that Sirius had not cottoned on. It did not bode well for Remus if he had. Sirius may not like his pureblood roots, but everyone fell back upon their childhood teachings at some point.

"Come on Sirius, leave him alone about it. You and your stupid 'theories'. Oi vey." mumbled James, punching Sirius' shoulder. Remus's blood ran cold. Theories? Theories were not good, especially from the mind of Sirius Black.

"Shut up James." said Sirius, glaring daggers at the boy. Remus wasn't supposed to know about the theories, it would mess everything up. But the look upon Remus' face held a small form of terror in it. Sirius wondered if Remus knew that Sirius knew.

"What do you mean James? What theories?" piped up Peter, coming up on James's other side. Remus winced, just what he needed.

"Nothing Peter. He doesn't mean anything." snarled Sirius, verbally warning James not to say anything more on the subject.

/page break/

Remus folded his towel and slung it over the shower wall. The warm water of the dorm showers was relaxing after a transformation. The lingering pain in his bones was chased away by the soothing water that cascaded down from the pewter showerhead.

The sudden creaking of the bathroom door had Remus's attention. He had thought that everyone was asleep by now. Remus hated showering or changing in front of the others. His many scars made him feel very insecure, and often got embarrassing questions asked. Remus couldn't explain them obviously; so many people thought that he was either abused or self-mutilating. The self-mutilating was the closest observation, so Remus generally told people that he wasn't abused and let the people use their imaginations.

"Remus?" It was Sirius, Remus thought as he slunk down the side of the tiled wall, praying that Sirius wouldn't start anything. That he would give up if Remus didn't answer him.

"Remus, I know you're here. I can hear you breathing. Can we talk?"

Remus sighed, "About what?"

"A little of this, a little of that. You know, bonding stuff." Sirius said, a small chuckle escaping him.

Remus rolled his eyes. Even when he was trying to be serious, he was a nut. Remus decided that talking couldn't hurt; maybe he was worrying about nothing.

"I'll be out in a minute Sirius."

"Okay. I'll meet you down in the Common room, alright?"

"Alright."

The door closed again and Remus sighed. Hopefully Sirius was just being silly and didn't really know anything.

/page break/

As Remus stepped into the Common room, he saw Sirius sitting in front of the large fireplace that dominated the room. He was running his hand through his hair and shuffling around, something he only did when he was extremely nervous, or had to go to the loo. Remus stopped on the last stair, wishing that he had stayed in the shower.

"Sirius? What's the matter?" asked Remus cautiously, finally going to sit next to his friend. Sirius looked at him and then looked away.

"If you had a friend who, maybe, had a….a problem. Would you confront them about it?"

Remus's blood froze, "Why do you ask?"

Sirius looked at Remus once more. A small smile crossed his face, as if saying 'Remus you idiot.'

"Remus, I know what you are."

"Wha-"

"I know you're a werewolf Remus. I put it all together. The disappearances once a month, the scars, the lunar chart in your trunk."

"I….I…Sirius…"

"Don't bother trying to deny it Remus. I know."

Remus felt like crying. He was about to lose one of the only friends he had ever had. He knew it. What would happen when Sirius told James and Peter? What if he told the entire school? Remus would have to leave; he would have to disappoint his parents. He would let Dumbledore down, which was almost worse than letting his parents down.

Sirius, as if sensing Remus' inner turmoil, put a cautious arm around Remus. He smiled a tiny grin at Remus, confusing Remus to no end.

"It's alright Remus. I don't mind."

"What? How can you not mind? Don't play with me Sirius Black! I don't…"

"Shut up Remy. Just be quiet. I really don't mind. Really." said Sirius, sliding closer to his friend, who looked dangerously close to a mental meltdown.

"Have you told anyone else?"

"No Remus, I haven't. I wanted to talk to you first."

"Thank you." replied Remus, a watery smile gracing his features.

"You're welcome Remy. Are you going to tell James? Peter?"

"I don't know Sirius. Do you think I should?"

"I think that James would want to know. He'll be okay with it. I don't know about Peter."

"I'll think about it. I've never told anyone before. I don't know how."

"I know Remy. It'll be okay, I'll help you." said Sirius, wrapping his arm more firmly around Remus.

"But what happens if…"

"But nothing. Come on, lets get to sleep, we have school in the morning."

"Wait, am I hearing this right? Sirius Black wants to go to sleep, because he has school in the morning?" asked Remus incredulously.

"Oh shut up wolf-boy."

Remus laughed and went to bed with a smile on his face. He couldn't believe that someone knew his secret. Knew his secret and didn't care, didn't care that he friend turned into a frothing monster once a month.

/page break/

As Remus woke the next morning he remembered what had occurred the night before. He grinned and glanced over to the bed placed next to his. Sirius was still asleep, the lazy lump. It was time to remedy that.

"Wake up Sirius! Time to get up!" called Remus, as he jumped up and down on the end of Sirius's bed. Sirius snorted and rolled over. Remus laughed and flopped down next to the boy.

"If you want breakfast you'll get up Sirius." cajoled Remus.

"Breakfast?" asked Sirius, cracking open one grey eye. Remus smiled, the only thing guaranteed to wake Sirius.

"Yes Sirius, breakfast. You know the one, lots of food like waffles and toast. That meal you eat when you get up in the morning."

"I like breakfast."

"Of course you like breakfast. If there's food, Sirius will find it." commented James, stumbling from the warm, red comforter.

"Shut up."

"So eloquent in the morning." joked James, padding into the bathroom.

"Do you even know what that word means, you great bespecled git?" asked Sirius, as he fell, quite literally, out of bed.

"Sure. Who doesn't?" said James, leaning around the doorframe. His eyes, however, told a different story. His eyes lied; they told that James had no idea what he was going on about.

Once they got into the Great Hall, things quieted down a bit. The other boys were too busy stuffing their faces to notice anything going on around them. The way they munched and gorged themselves was a spectacle.

Remus sat next to Sirius for the first time in months, generally Remus was next to Peter, and James next to Sirius. The subtle changed had many people on edge. Did something happen to the Dangerous Duo? Were they coming apart at the seams? No. It was nothing of the sort. The change was simply because they wanted to.

Sirius turned and grinned at Remus. He had noticed how happy and free the boy had seemed this morning. Puppy like, he had been truly happy. It was wonderful to see, he knew that Remus had precious little to be happy for. So to give him this little pleasure made Sirius feel great.

Remus's good mood continued well into the day. He was the most active anyone had seen him. Many people wondered what type of medication he was on, and where could they get some? The teachers were glad that he seemed so energetic. The poor boy was always so downtrodden.

/page break/

Remus stood next to James's bed, trepidation evident in his face. He knew that he had to tell them, if they were to remain friends, there would be no secrets.

"James? Can I talk to you for a minute?" asked Remus, pulling the curtains back from the bed.

"Sure. Have a seat. What's on your mind?" asked James, moving his legs so that Remus could sit.

"Well I wanted to talk to you about why I disappear every month."

"Oh, you mean the fact that you disappear for almost twenty-four hours, give us some crack-pot lie, and oh….that you're a werewolf?"

Remus gaped, "Uh…"

"Oh, by the way I could care less if you're a werewolf."

"Uh…"

"You could be a green polka dotted purple people eater and I wouldn't care."

"Uh…."

"I've known for about a month now, so if you think this is new, think again! But it's okay, I really don't care. I mean, you're still you right."

"Uh…"

"It's great that we've had this little chat. I feel so much better don't you? Well, have a great night."

"Uh, great. Night." said Remus, a little bewildered as to what had just happened. He thought that he would be spending all this time trying to get one little sentence out. Instead, it seemed like James was the one giving the life-altering confession. Life at Hogwarts was decidedly odd.

"Hey Remus."

"Peter. What can I do for you?"

"I…uh…heard what James said."

"Oh…and?"

"And, I think that its okay that you're a werewolf. I mean like James said, 'you're still you', right?"

"Right."

"So, yeah…it's fine with me."

"Great. Thanks a lot Peter."

"No problem."

As Remus worked on his Transfiguration homework, he pondered the happenings of the week. His friends knew his dark secret and were okay with it. They didn't mind that he turned into a slobbering, mindless animal once a month. They didn't care that he wasn't what most people consider normal. They liked because of his personality. Because they thought he was fun to be around. Even Sirius, who was very pureblooded, didn't care. For now, life was doing pretty good.

A/N: Well, there you go. Another chapter. Sorry for the later update, the story called 'Life' got in the way. Review if you want to make my day.


	4. Marauders Ascending

Disclaimer: I do not own it. Absolutely nothing, except for a few, pop-in characters. In which case they are mine.

A/N: I still have no beta. I would love one, even if I think I do pretty well by myself. So, if you wish to help me get these out, please let me know.

Becoming Moony: Marauders Ascending

Remus didn't know what had happened. One day he had felt completely normal. His life had been going fine. He ate right, he brushed his teeth, and he didn't know what was wrong with him.

But then, something had happened. He had been walking down the hall and suddenly he had Evander Bradshaw's tongue down his throat. It had been surprisingly good. It didn't hurt that Evander was the best-looking Ravenclaw seventh year in the school. His dark, wavy, hair and bright, baby blue eyes, made many a girl drool. It also made many a gay boy drool as well.

Remus had jumped slightly when he had first been "attacked", but had relaxed during the kiss. He had actually been slightly weak in the knees.

Evander's parting statement, "See you later, Remus." had brought Remus back to reality with an ungraceful and unsatisfying thump. What the hell had just happened? He had thought. He had just been kissed by a boy and liked it.

These thoughts ran rampant around his mind throughout the week. He could barely pay attention in class, several pranks that should have been pulled of without a hitch went sour, and every time Evander Bradshaw looked at him, he blushed horribly.

He hoped to Merlin, or anyone that would listen, that Sirius and James didn't find out. Sirius had already gotten his, rather scandalous, reputation as a womanizer. There was no girl or woman around that wouldn't feel weak in the knees if Sirius grinned at her. James, still embarrassingly infatuated with Lily, had a rather bad habit of blabbing a really juicy bit of news to anyone who asked. He hadn't told anyone about Remus's "furry little problem" and promised to take it to the grave with him. For some reason, Remus knew that James wouldn't tell anyone about that secret, but knew that if he found out that a boy had kissed Remus, the entire school would know the next morning.

As Remus mused at his rather jumbled thoughts, Sirius came up and plopped down next to him.

"Hiya Remus!"

"Hello Sirius."

"What's up?"

"Nothing."

"You wanna tell me anything?" A sly smile accompanied this statement. Remus felt his eyes widen and face flush. Sirius couldn't possibly know, could he?

"No."

"You don't want to tell me anything? Especially about a special person that you seem to have acquired?"

Remus felt dread fill his body. Oh no, Sirius knew about Evander. He was going to die. "What do you mean?"

"Oh nothing in particular. Just wanted to know about your little lady friend."

Lady friend? He didn't have a- oh. Remus laughed mentally, Sirius thought he had a girlfriend. How funny, thought Remus.

"I don't have a "lady friend" Sirius. Where would you get a silly idea like that?"

"Well, the word on the street is that little Miss Amaryllis Du Bois has a thing for you."

"Amaryllis? I don't think so Sirius. We're in a study group together, sure. I don't think she 'has a thing for me' as you so eloquently put it."

"A study group. Sure. If that's the way you want to phrase it." grinned Sirius.

Yes that was how Remus wanted to put it, that's the way it was. Amaryllis was a nice girl sure, but Remus didn't like girls like that, at least, not anymore. He wouldn't have dated her even if he had liked girls, she was a little annoying. Her voice was slightly higher than average, her hair always had a full bottle of hairspray in it, and her lipstick was the most annoying shade of pink Remus had ever seen.

The hair thing was probably what bothered Remus the most, the style that was in was horrendous. The bouffant thing was terrible. So much curling and twirling, and it didn't even move. It had no flow. She was also blonde and blondes were not Remus' cup of tea. Blondes tended to be giggly. Giggly was bad.

Amaryllis, while nice, was not Remus's type and was slightly insulted that Sirius thought she was. Remus hoped to Merlin that the 'word on the street' was incorrect. Study sessions would become very awkward if she did. Although, he wondered why no one, especially Amaryllis, hadn't mentioned it before. She wasn't shy by any stretch of the imagination. She was loud and boisterous. She was a little like Sirius, if Sirius had been born blonde and female.

"You still alive over there Remus?"

"Yes. I think that you need to check your sources Sirius because they are terribly wrong."

Remus stood. He didn't feel like listening to Sirius babble on about some female anymore. What he did feel like was finding Evander and doing something to him. What he would do, Remus didn't know. When he found Evander he would know.

/page break/

Remus was going to kill James Potter if he kept breathing in Remus' ear like that. He was going to kill him and then have to explain to Harold and Josephine Potter why, exactly, he had killed their darling son.

"Remus…Remus…guess what? I had a great idea. Wanna hear it?"

"Why do I have to hear it at TWO in the morning?"

A pause, "Remus…want to hear my idea?"

Remus reached over and grabbed the collar of James' pajamas. He brought James real close to his own face and whispered quietly to James, " James, if you don't go back to bed I am going to hurt you."

"Oh…okay. Right, I'll just go now." mumbled James, realizing that Remus was truly going to hurt him if he didn't leave. Remus was not a morning person and, therefore, was rather grouchy if woken up. You didn't wake a werewolf up, they were liable to break your face.

"You do that." Remus grumbled, turning over and tried to go back to sleep. A sudden whispering brought him back to reality. Sirius and James's voices were hurried and nearly silent. Or they would have been if Remus didn't have werewolf hearing. What normal people would have heard was a quiet mumbling, Remus heard thus:

"….that's great…"

"…what about?"

"…nah, it'll be okay…."

"…sure?"

"Yeah...we'll just"

"If you two do not shut the hell up I am going to kill you."

The hurried conversation was quickly stopped. A squeak of the floorboards, a crunch of bedsprings, and two quiet, "Night Moony" 's was the ending of that particular conversation. Remus grinned, sometimes it was good to be a grouchy werewolf, people were less likely to bother you.

Remus heard mumbling coming from James's bed. Something about it being a really good name or some sort of rubbish. Remus sighed, he would get no sleep until James told his idea to everyone under the sun. Remus got out of bed stiffly.

"James, tell me your brilliant idea so I can get some sleep."

"No."

"Stop being a two-year-old."

"No."

"Fine."

"You know how McGonagall's always calling us hooligans?" started James, "I came across a better name."

Remus grinned in the dark, "Did you now?"

"Yeah. We're the Marauders."

"The Marauders?"

"Yeah, it means we're, like, rogues or something like that."

"Or something like that." Remus said. The name really was a good one, not terribly accurate, but still good. They didn't go around plundering but pillaging was a definite possibility.

/page break/

By the next afternoon, everyone knew the group of four as the Marauders. Even the professors knew. People would snicker as they walked up and down the school, Sirius and James strutting proudly. They looked like peacocks. It was a wonder someone hadn't smacked them by now. Besides Lily of course, because Lily hit James at least twice a day now. It wasn't unprecedented either; James regularly made an ass of himself. Whether it was dropping some sort of food object on her or pulling some sort of prank that made her mad, he was sure to be hit.

For all of James's crush on her, Sirius didn't seem to like Lily very much. Remus thought she was quite a lovely person, not a nasty bone in her body, unless your name was James Potter. Maybe Sirius felt threatened. By what, Remus couldn't tell, all he knew was that whenever the opportunity presented itself, he was deliberately cruel to her. Remus knew that he didn't have a crush on her himself, he grouched about James' 'stupid infatuation with a redheaded bimbo' enough to disprove that theory.

Then again, Sirius liked and flirted with nearly every female in the school. He had even managed to flirt his way into a good grade. The teacher had left the next year though, apparently out of embarrassment.

Remus wasn't going to diss on them too much. He knew that if anyone knew about Evander, he would be laughed out of Hogwarts. Speaking of Evander, Remus thought, he hadn't seen him in awhile. Remus meandered down the halls in search of the elusive Evander Bradshaw.

"Looking for me?" came a voice from behind Remus. It was Evander.

"Maybe." answered Remus, turning with a smile on his face. Evander approached slowly.

Remus knew that if anyone found out about them, things would probably go to hell, but hell kissed exceedingly well.

/page break/

When Remus got back to the dormitory, he knew something was amiss. Sirius and James were perched on his bed, excitement written all over their bodies. Remus approached with extreme caution, when they were like this, anything could set them off. Extreme excitement was always a danger zone for these two. Excitement usually resulted in two weeks worth of detention.

Remus seriously hoped that tonight was not one of the nights in which the two boys drug Peter and himself into some sort of mischief that resulted in bodily harm. Those nights were nearly always worse than the two weeks of detention nights.

"Can I help you?"

Sirius and James exchanged wicked smiles and then leered at the teenage werewolf. The looks promised pain and agony for some poor sod. The poor, werewolf, sod.

"I wonder, James, what Evander Bradshaw has that Amaryllis Kring doesn't?" said Sirius, a wicked little grin upon his face.

Remus's body went cold. Oh no.

"Well, Sirius, I would suppose that he doesn't have the same body shape." replied James, laughter in his eyes.

"Very true. Very true. What do you think Remus?"

"Uh…"

"It seems that he is speechless."

"Much like he was not twenty minutes ago, Sirius."

"Ah, yes, when he conveniently had Bradshaw's tongue down his…"

"Enough! I can't take it anymore! What do you want me to say? That I like boys? That I happen to like Evander? What more do you want from me?" Remus had cracked. The two boys on the bed reeled back as though they had been physically struck.

"Whoa, chill out Moony. Don't freak out." Sirius said, "We were just playing with you."

"Yeah, we don't mind. Honestly." said James, sitting forward on the bed.

"You…don't?" asked Remus, disbelief in his voice.

"Come on Remus, on a scale of one to ten I think the werewolf thing rates higher than the 'likes boys' part." said Sirius.

"Oh…what did you call me a minute ago?"

"Moony. It fits doesn't it?"

"How so?" asked James.

"Moony. The moon, you know werewolf. Moony."

"I don't get it but that's okay." said James, pondering Sirius's sanity, or lack thereof.

"Me either. Does it really matter though?" asked Remus, the nickname was kind of nice. It was a testament to the fact that they took Remus they way he was, not by what he hid.

" I want a nickname! Give me one too!" cried James, bouncing up and down like a two year old on a sugar high.

"How about dumb-arse? That fits." laughed Sirius. Remus laughed as well, James and Sirius really were crazy. But they were great to be around. They were truly one of a kind.

/page break/

And so Remus was no longer Remus and was now known as Moony. Many people wondered where the name had come from, after all they hadn't heard of anything illicit happening. Unless the Gryffindors weren't talking no one knew about the origin of the nickname.

Then again this was the sixties and, therefore, plenty of illicit things happened under other people's noses that no one ever heard about. Even in Hogwarts, things like marijuana and LSD went under the tables. The teachers knew for sure, because every year at the starting feast some mentioning of muggle, and wizarding, drugs were done. There was no real stopping it; the students were very good at what they did.

Many students wondered if that was where the Marauders got their popularity. Maybe they did drug trafficking. That would explain Remus's new nickname at least. Moony, who had ever heard of such a ridiculous nickname?

Only the four boys knew the truth about Remus's nickname. The boys would be the only ones to know, ever.

Remus's taboo relationship continued on for the rest of the year, even if two of the Marauders knew about it. They didn't mind, or at least, so they said. Evander graduated at the end of the year and moved on to become a top-level auror. He got married to a nice young muggle girl, sufficiently breaking Remus's heart just a little. The Marauders soon learned not to mention the handsome Ravenclaw that had brought Remus his first kiss. Remus got over it within the summer months, having dallied with a striking young French transfer. Remus learned that, while love was great and all, it wasn't what it was cracked up to be. Shakespeare was delusional, thought Remus, either that or he had some serious drug related problems. All Remus knew was that love hurt and everyone left, even if they said they wouldn't. Love wasn't worth the pain that came with it, at least, not with anyone he had ever been with.

A/N: Well there you have it. It ended up slightly bitter for some odd reason, don't know why, I am a romantic. I hope that you enjoyed this. I'll try to have the next one up as soon as I possibly can. I still need a beta! Please let me know if you are interested.


	5. New Moon Rising

Disclaimer: It is not mine, not mine, and not mine!

A/N: Well nothing really to say here. Hope you enjoy the story. You might feel the need for a tissue at some point, or it may just be me.

And I want to thank my new beta, Vikertee! She is forever wonderful for putting up with me. She does a wonderful job even though we are more than 100,000 miles apart.

Becoming Moony: New Moon Rising

_The moon was high and bright, it took up three quarters of the sky at the very least. He glanced up at it mournfully, wishes of normalcy running rampant through His head. The dirt felt smooth against his paws, and the leaves crunched beneath the powerful extremity. He knew that He was not supposed to be out of the house. Why He wasn't allowed out, He didn't know, He just knew He shouldn't be out. He didn't feel the need to hurt anybody, did He? No, He didn't. He just wanted a friend. _

_A sudden crunching of the underbrush brought His attention to the forest behind Him. What could have made that noise? He should have noticed that something was behind Him, but He hadn't. The crunching noise got louder and suddenly a large black canine came bounding out of the pine brushes. The dog was what seemed like a cross between a Newfoundland and a Belgian Malinois. It made for a rather strange and lopsided animal. The fact that it seemed to be just out of puppy-hood seemed to contribute to its awkwardness as well. _

_As soon as it saw him, it came to an abrupt stop, a howl died on the tip of its tongue. The ears, which had been standing straight up in excitement, drooped with understanding. He was rather intimidating when He wanted to be. But the canine didn't seem to be afraid. Simply curious. _

_Moony! _

_Who was Moony? He wondered. There was no one else here besides the two of them. The canine couldn't be talking to Him, could he? _

_Let's play, Moony! _

_The dog slumped down on his front paws and wagged his tail enthusiastically. It seemed as if this dog was talking to Him. But that didn't explain who, or what, was a Moony?_

_ To whom are you talking to? He asked, cocking His head to the side._

_You, of course. Who else? came the canine's voice._

_ Oh. Why do you call me by that name? _

_ Because that's your name silly. _

_ It is? _

_ Yeah. _

_ What's your name then? He asked, coming to sit next to the black dog. The dog turned its head, as if it was confused._

_ Padfoot. My name is Padfoot. _

_/page break/_

_A large deer like animal and a small rat soon joined the two canines. Prongs and Wormtail. Moony was not too fond of Wormtail, he smelled badly. When he attempted to drop the poor rat into a puddle to clean him off, the stag reacted rather badly. Prongs knocked Moony over with his not so large horns. Padfoot laughed and laughed. Moony liked Padfoot a lot. The stag seemed rather stuffy and nosy. _

_The four animals romped and played throughout the night, having lots of fun and nearly getting into trouble with the local animals. Moony thanked the Goddess many times that night, glad that he had friends, friends to play with. A pack to take care of, although, if Prongs didn't let him clean poor Wormtail, he didn't know what he was going to do. The poor thing smelled horrible. Padfoot smelt it as well, he had told Moony that when Prongs hadn't been listening. _

_As they laid down on the squeaky floorboards of the Shrieking Shack, Moony swiped a quick lick over the muzzles of the three animals. Padfoot and Prongs moved closer to Moony as he fell asleep, cuddled up next to Padfoot. Wormtail squeaked and ran off to the corner to clean himself. Moony snorted, such a dim little animal, it was an affectionate gesture, not an excuse to clean oneself. On the other hand, Moony's tongue had covered the rat in its entirety. _

_Moony fell asleep to the deep breathing of Padfoot, the small squeaks of Wormtail, and the rasping of Prongs's antlers across the floor. He was truly happy. _

_/page break/_

Remus groaned and moved his arms above his head, or at least, he tried to. The two warm bodies that were stretched out on either side of him had pinned down his arms. He turned his head to the left, Sirius. He turned his head to the right, James. Remus frowned and thought back to the night before. Nothing out of the ordinary, he had gone down to the shack, he had transformed like normal, and he had then escaped the gloomy oppression that was the crumbling building. Then a faint memory crossed Remus's mind…a large black dog bounding towards him, a stag, and a rat. Padfoot, Prongs, and Wormtail, his three best friends who had risked everything.

"Mornin' Moony." mumbled Sirius, rolling closer to the mound of bodies on the shack's floor. Remus turned around with a small smile on his face. Sirius smiled back at him, Remus proceeded to smack Sirius upside the head.

"Jeez! What was that for?"

"That was for being a complete moron for attempting something like this." Remus smacked him again. "That was for coming down to see me, anything could have happened. And this…"

James's hand wrapped around Remus's wrist before he could hit Sirius again. Peter was awake and laughing gleefully at Padfoot's plight. "Let's not be hasty Moony. We're just trying to help."

"You're trying to help? By what, getting yourselves killed?" Remus yelled, coughing violently afterward. He made a mental note not to yell after a full moon.

"We didn't want you to be alone, you always seemed so sad." said Sirius, sitting up fully, confident that Remus wouldn't be hitting him again any time soon. Remus paused, what did he do to deserve such friendship?

"You really shouldn't have done this? You can't possibly be legal."

The other three boys exchanged glances, finally James spoke, "We're not. Legal, that is. You can't go through the animagus procedure unless you're over eighteen."

Remus shook his head. Even when they were trying to do something nice they were breaking the rules. However, this was a little bigger than breaking a few school rules, this was the law. Remus had to be very careful when it came to laws; werewolves got double the time when they broke laws.

"As long as no one finds out we'll be okay. And who would we tell, it would be far to tricky to explain why we had become Animagi in the first place." said James, shrugging his shoulders.

Remus tried to laugh, but it came out as a sob. He didn't know how his emotions had turned around so fast. It was like he had gotten on an emotional rollercoaster and couldn't get off. It was taking around and around, up and down, through the loops and upside down. The tears fell in rivets down his face, falling faster and faster. Picking up speed, making it so that he could barely see. His body rocked to and fro, he had almost no control over how he moved. His head remained bowed and his mouth was dry, his nose was running all over his face. It wasn't a pretty sight.

Sirius and James immediately leapt into action, wrapping their arms around Remus, trying to protect him from the emotions that plagued him. Sirius had his face buried in Remus's neck, arms wrapped around his thin waist. James's glasses were poking into the top of his head, his arms secure around Remus's shoulders. They were both mumbling something. It sounded like white noise to Remus; he was too far gone on the nastiest rollercoaster ever built.

Remus hiccupped and was finally still, he glanced up through his smarting eyes at his friends, or at least two of his friends, Peter had disappeared. Remus leaned tiredly against Sirius, both the moon and his emotional breakdown leaving him exhausted. James got up and fetched a blanket from the dilapidated bed, throwing it over Remus's beaten body.

"You okay Moony?" asked Sirius, flopping down closer to Remus, allowing him to use Sirius as a pillow. Remus nodded up at him, a tiny smile gracing the drawn and worn face of the fifteen-year-old boy. That's all they were really, boys. They were little boys on the cusp of manhood, stuck in a monastery-like prep school; they broke rules to get singled out, to gain the attention of someone who mattered. They flirted and flounced so that they could gain a "reputation", which wouldn't matter in two years anyway.

"You aren't mad at us, are you?" asked James, sitting next to Remus's left knee. His head was titled to the side, glasses lopsided. He looked so much younger than fifteen and one twelfth years. His hair had dust in it, the grey streaks presenting the illusion of age. Remus shook his head and sighed.

"I'm not mad, I just don't think that you should have put yourselves in this position. Anything could have gone wrong. I could have bitten you. Hell, I could have killed you and no one would have noticed or known until it was too late to do anything." said Remus, that monologue having been the most he had said all morning. Sirius and James looked at each other over Remus's head, there was nothing they could say to that, it was true. They could have been killed, but to them, the danger didn't matter. It was their friend who mattered.

"Remus, it doesn't matter. We just want you to be happy. If that means doing something stupid then we'll do it. If it makes you smile, who cares?" stated James, putting one of his hands on Remus's knee. He squeezed gently, trying to make Remus see that they didn't care what happened to them, not really.

"Yeah, I mean it would be great not to die, but if you're happy then who gives a damn?" Sirius claimed, putting his chin on Remus's shoulder. Remus looked at them in bewilderment, they had really done this just for him?

At that moment Peter stuck his head back inside the door and a quick whispered "Madame Pomphrey's coming!" had them all scrambling. James and Sirius grabbed their robes and made a break for the door. Sirius stopped briefly to push Remus's clothes into his hands and give Remus a grin. Remus pulled his clothes on quickly; it wouldn't do for the matron to find him in nothing but a blanket. The other three boys were gone almost as quickly as they had come, but Remus knew that this conversation was not finished. Not by a long shot.

/page break/

The months passed, as did full moons, the three boys continued to come and see Remus during the full moon. They spent their time with Moony frolicking in the tall trees of the forbidden forest and causing mischief. Prongs and Padfoot made sure to keep Moony away from Hogsmeade at all costs, nothing good could come from Moony going down to the village.

Remus was still reeling from the emotional blow that he had been given, but knew that he wouldn't change it for anything. As long as he had his four best friends he could do anything, even conquer being a gay teenage werewolf.

Remus did, however, have a problem. His increasing…attraction to Sirius was becoming quite startling. He had no idea where it came from, one day it just appeared. It may have come from Moony, the wolf had a very close relationship with Padfoot, most likely because they were both canine. What Remus did know was that if he didn't do something with this crush it was going to consume him. It was an inferno threatening to swallow him whole and with no mercy.

Sirius's sixteenth birthday celebration made things worse, lots worse. The whole of Gryffindor was throwing him a party; Remus was nominated as the distraction. Why James couldn't have done it was beyond him. James was much better at lying, Remus was a terrible liar. Remus did, however, manage to successfully distract Sirius for the four required hours. A short trip around the lake took care of that particular issue. What came next was where the problems began.

Truth or Dare was a nasty, horrible, no good, stupid muggle creation that should have been banned while in Hogwarts walls. It should at least be banned in Gryffindor Tower, for Gryffindors did horrible things to their classmates. It was said that even the Slytherins were nicer with their games than the lions. No one would play a lion in truth or dare, not if you valued your reputation. Remus was one of those who valued their reputation. He had spent many a year building up his, getting good grades and such. He also tried not to get into any more trouble than he could stand; being a Marauder brought certain traits to the forefront.

Remus knew that playing truth or dare was a bad idea, he was vehemently against such humiliating games, and protested. But when Sirius pouted at him, Remus knew he was sunk. He was like the Titanic; he had stuck the proverbial iceberg and knew it was only a matter of time before he was at the bottom of the ocean. Remus knew playing was a bad idea, but when Sirius Black opened his big blue eyes and pouted at you for all he was worth, you couldn't say no.

The game started harmlessly enough, Remus picking truth every time. So far he had admitted to stealing biscuits from the biscuit jar, refusing to bathe at age eight, knowing how to do the splits, and knowingly fudged a Transfiguration paper to make Peter feel better. He knew that it was only a matter of time before someone cottoned on to him. He was right.

"Remus. Truth or dare?" asked Lily, a wicked smile crossing her lovely face. Remus felt dread grow in the pit of his stomach.

"Truth." mumbled Remus.

"Tell us your darkest secret." Remus could see both James and Sirius stiffen, even Peter had stopped eating. Remus obviously couldn't tell his darkest secret, it would create mass panic. So Remus said nothing. Lily grinned her wicked little grin.

"Do you pass your right to a fair truth?" she asked, Remus could only nod and sigh. His doom was sealed. "Dare it is then. I dare you, Remus Lupin, to kiss one of your best friends."

Remus hated Lily Evans. He hated her and her little conniving grin. He hated the way her lovely green eyes glittered when she knew she had won. Most of all, he hated the way she knew. The way she knew everything about him.

Remus hesitated, listening to the gasps and giggles that went around the room. He glanced first at James and then at Peter, who had gone green and choked on his Pumpkin Pasty. Lastly he glanced at Sirius who had a goofy grin on his face. It was a grin that told Remus exactly what he thought of the dare. Pure and simple genius. He looked as though he would get up and congratulate Lily on her Marauder-like dare.

Remus glanced once more at James, as Peter was clearly out of the equation. James shrugged once and glanced over at Lily. Remus could read the slightly pained look that flashed across his face, and he couldn't do that to James. It would ruin his chances with Lily even more than James already had. Sirius it was then, at least he could use the excuse that it was the birthday boy's right. Remus sighed, like anybody would buy that load of rubbish.

Remus glanced over at Sirius, a very odd look crossed Sirius's face. It disappeared quickly and Remus soon forgot about it in the impending doom of his nearly spotless reputation. Luckily, Remus didn't have to go very far. Sirius was on his left side and he turned to face the boy more fully, a request for permission on Remus's face. As soon as everyone realized whom he was going to kiss it became as silent as a cemetery.

Remus leaned closer to Sirius, wishing that he didn't have to do this. He did want to kiss Sirius in all honesty; he just didn't want to do it in front of sixty other people. While Remus mused, Sirius had gotten fed up of waiting and had pressed his lips to Remus'. The entire common room went nuts; people were snickering behind their hands and whispering to their neighbors. They couldn't believe that Lupin had gone through with it and Sirius had let him! Had helped him even, it was nearly unthinkable.

Lily watched the two break apart with something akin to smugness. She so had them pegged, when they were going to realize it she didn't know, but when they did she would be there to laugh and tell them that she had known all along.

Remus's mind spun in dizzying circles. He could barely pull away from the most amazing kiss he had ever had. Sirius was a bloody wonderful kisser; he should be given an award for it. His mind was fogged and just plain not working right. He faintly heard the hooting and the wolf whistles. He thought he heard James hacking up a lung he was laughing that hard.

Sirius grinned down at him and turned back to the party, leaving Remus to his, rather tumultuous thoughts.

The party fizzled out soon after that, apparently people thought that that moment couldn't be beat. The four boys retired to their dorm, still partying. After all, you didn't turn sixteen everyday. Sirius was talking loudly, he was rather drunk actually. Someone had managed to sneak in four bottles of Firewhiskey and Sirius had drunk one just by himself.

Remus spent most of the night thinking upon the rather momentous kiss. The one kiss that cemented Remus's feelings for Sirius, a kiss that meant absolutely nothing to the boy who was contentedly snoring in the bed next to him. The boy who cared nothing for him except for a deep friendship. That would just have to satisfy him, thought Remus. If that was all Sirius could give him then that was what he was going to take. He wasn't going to complain and he certainly wasn't going to say anything to Sirius.

He was, however, going to have to talk to Lily, the poor girl had been mistakenly sorted into Gryffindor. Slughorn did have an extreme liking for her and he was the head of the Slytherin house. The redheaded prefect should have been sorted into the house that matched her eyes. She was far too devious to be a Gryffindor. Remus thought about suggesting such a thing to McGonagall but then he decided that he wished to live for at least another fifty years or so.

As Remus fell asleep he thought about the kiss that had rocked his world harder than the Beatles had rocked London a month earlier. He smiled in his sleep and turned over so that he faced the boy in his dreams. The boy who, conveniently enough, had Remus in his own dreams.

A/N: Well, that's it. Hope you all like it.


	6. A Deadly Prank

Disclaimer: Not mine…it isn't mine! Stop asking me that, it isn't mine!

A/N: Well I hope that you enjoy this chapter. I have absolutely nothing to say besides this, but that may be because I'm in a draining history class.

Just to let you know I use the timeline that says the Marauders were in school during the sixties, if this bothers you than just ignore all cultural references to the period. This particular chapter was set in their sixth year obviously.

Becoming Moony: A Deadly Prank

Remus stared out of the Infirmary window, a tear making its way down his cheek. He couldn't believe it, couldn't believe what Sirius had done. What had he done to deserve this? He had thought that Sirius had cared about him, had been a friend. Had Remus just been fooling himself?

What had occurred not twenty-four hours ago was almost unmentionable. Remus couldn't even think about it without a shudder running across his body like tiny mice across linoleum.

Flashback

_Moony sniffed the air, cautious for some reason. The air smelt thick, thick with fear and anticipation. As if it was waiting with baited breath for something to happen, something with disastrous consequences. _

_Moony trembled, scared for once in his life. Where were his pack mates? Why weren't they here with him, to help protect him? Where was Prongs with his infallible loyalty? Where was Wormtail, whose cowardliness brought comedy to the little pack? And where was Padfoot? Why wasn't the most important member here? Why was Padfoot, his mate in every aspect, not here to help protect him? _

_Moony paused as he heard gravel crunching in the tunnel below his paws. Footsteps, human footsteps, pattered across the rocks that formed the tunnel. Moony crawled forward on his stomach to peer curiously into the opening. He cocked his head to the side, trying to decide whether to explore or not. Without his pack he was not as brave, but the temptation was too much. He lowered himself slowly into the tunnel, his fur catching slightly on the sharp rocks. _

_He peered around the rock-strewn corner and stared at what he saw before him. A boy, not much older than he was, stood before him. His dark hair shined in the moonlight that managed trickle in through the holes in the wall. His nose was prominent and his eyes wide with wonder. One would think that he had never seen a tunnel before. Humans were such simple creatures and Moony longed to play with them. He wouldn't hurt them, that would be terribly rude, but he wanted to experience the melancholy simplicity that seemed to seep out of them._

_As Moony moved forward a small rock got caught under his paw and it skipped down the length of the chamber. It came to rest at the boy's feet, the boy glanced up. Moony perked his ears up and peered further around the corner. The boy froze, his eyes widening to an almost comical proportion. _

_Moony didn't know why the boy was panicking so badly, he just wanted to play. He wasn't going to hurt him or anything. Moony barked in what he thought was a joyous and playful yip. The boy's panic only seemed to increase._

_As the boy stepped backwards he tripped over a protruding rock and fell to the ground. He trembled as Moony took a step forward, his face was milk white. Not that he had much color to begin with, thought Moony with a laugh. The snorting laugh of the wolf seemed to snap the boy out of his fear-induced stupor. He stumbled to his feet, trying to get to the entrance. _

_Moony's ears drooped, he couldn't leave yet! They hadn't even had a good romp around the woods yet. The sudden pounding of another's feet alerted both the wolf and the boy to another's presence. A familiar smell drifted towards Moony's nose. Prongs approached, but he smelt different. Changed somehow as if he weren't truly animal. _

_Another black haired boy tore down the tunnel towards the two. Moony glanced at him in confusion, this human smelled like Prongs but he was human. How was that possible?_

_"Snape! Come on, move your arse. We've go to get out of here!"_

_The first boy stumbled forward his eyes still pinned on Moony. The second boy shoved Snape headlong down the tunnel and glanced back at Moony._

_"Stay there Moony, don't make me hurt you." _

_Hurt him? He wouldn't hurt anybody. And how did this boy who smelled like Prongs know his name? Wait! Wizards, he had heard of wizards from Padfoot. He had said that wizards could sometimes change shape, which meant--. His pack brothers weren't animals! They were wizard animals. Animagy or something like that. _

_Moony cowered back towards the entrance to the shack, making whimpering noises at the thought of his brothers lying to him. The wizard pack brother named Prongs glanced sadly at him before following the wizard called Snape. _

_"I'm going to kill Sirius for this." mumbled human Prongs as he traveled down the corridor; content that Moony wasn't going to attack him. _

_What was a Sirius? Moony thought, crawling back to his little room at the top of his wooden prison. _

_As reality returned to Remus and the wolf retreated for another month, the magnitude of what had happened that night hit Remus like a ton of cinder blocks. He pieced together the moments that seemed fuzzy and didn't like the conclusion he came up with. James's sorrowful face as he ascended from the tunnel just added onto the feelings of betrayal and guilt._

End Flashback

Remus sighed once more and turned to go back to his bed. James and Dumbledore had explained what Moony could not, like what had happened to Severus. Severus had sworn to never tell a soul, although Remus didn't believe him. Remus knew that Severus harbored too much resentment against him, he would tell someone someday. Remus also knew who had caused this ruckus, Sirius. Sirius had done this, his best friend and crush had single handedly ruined his life.

Remus sank onto his bed, grateful for its unwavering support. His back hurt much more than it usually would have, he didn't have two furry bodies playing pillow this month. A creaking of the doors brought Remus's attention to it. The doors opened and closed by an invisible force. Somebody had James's Invisibility Cloak, he wondered if James knew about it. The person couldn't possibly be James, he had detention from Dumbledore.

Remus sucked in a breath as Sirius swept the valuable cloak from his shoulders. He had no wish to see Sirius right now and judging by the look on Sirius's face, he knew that Remus didn't want to see him.

Sirius shuffled forward, agony and guilt covered his face. His eyes were red-rimmed as if he had been crying. Good, thought Remus, he deserved to be miserable. Sirius wrung his hands over and over as Remus stared at him, saying nothing. A cough came from Sirius followed by a clearing of his throat. He ran his hands through his hair multiple times, obviously wanting to say something but not knowing how. Sirius ran his hands once more through the black locks, something he did only when he was exceedingly nervous or really had to go to the loo.

"Remus…" started Sirius, only to be abruptly cut off.

"I don't want to talk to you."

"But, Remus-"

"No. Go away."

"But-"

"Sirius, why would I want to talk to you? You could have ruined my life! Do you know what would have happened if I had hurt Severus at all? I would have been put in Azkaban at best and be put down like an animal at worst! How could you even foster the smallest thought that I might want to talk to you? If I never see you again it will be far too soon Sirius Black!"

Sirius stepped backwards as if he had been physically struck. His eyes darted around the room as they welled up with tears. Remus glanced down, feeling slightly guilty. He had never seen Sirius cry nor had he ever heard of Sirius crying. Sirius rubbed the back of his neck and nodded shakily.

"Okay. Okay, I'll leave…Moony…I...I'm so sorry."

Remus glanced down at his lap, hoping that Sirius would leave soon so that he was not tempted to throw himself at the seventeen year old. The stuttering and muttering was beginning to get to him. Sirius's expression was pulling at Remus's heartstrings painfully.

Sirius left after a few more moments of stuttering and Remus pointedly ignoring him. Sirius returned the cloak to his body and swept out of the hospital wing as if the Devil himself was chasing him. Or a werewolf, laughed Remus. He picked at his bandages miserably, what was he going to do? The love of his young life had betrayed him so totally that everything seemed irreparable. Had he lost his best friend? For Sirius was his best friend. James and Peter were great, but Sirius had always been there for him.

Remus started as he felt a tissue being pushed into his hands, he hadn't noticed he had been crying. Remus glanced up into the worried looking face of James. He smiled a watery smile at the boy, who plopped down next to Remus.

"What am I going to do James? I want to forgive him, but I don't know if I can." said Remus, leaning back onto the pillows.

"I don't know Rem. There isn't anything I can do because it isn't my choice. It's yours." James shrugged and slouched down next to him. Remus placed his head onto James's shoulder and sighed. It seemed he was sighing a lot today and it was beginning to make him mad. He didn't want to be such a whinny baby and decide "life wasn't fair". Because life wasn't fair, it really wasn't and there wasn't anyone in the world that could do anything about that.

James slung his arm around Remus's shoulders and hugged the smaller boy to him, he didn't generally like being touchy feely, but Remus seemed to need the comfort. Not that James blamed Remus; anyone would be feeling like shit if one of his or her friends did something like this. James didn't know what to tell Remus, he really didn't. There was no use in spewing out useless condolences; they didn't make anyone feel any better. James just wished that Sirius wasn't such a berk and made an effort to control his temper.

Sirius sat up in the dorm room, feeling like a complete ass. He hoped that Remus never forgave him; he didn't deserve Remus's forgiveness. As the tears dripped down his face he realized that no matter what he did to make his mother mad, he would always be a Black. There was no getting around that and it didn't make Sirius feel any better.

November passed and the Marauders still weren't speaking to Sirius. For Sirius wasn't a Marauder anymore, he couldn't be, he didn't deserve it. The title of Mr. Padfoot was earned, not freely given. Sirius wasn't sure how much longer he could stand the emotional coldness of the dorm. The room froze over with the icy glares of James and, surprisingly, Peter. Remus was still ignoring him, which, in the end, hurt worse than the blatant glares being shot at him every which way.

The entire school could feel the tangible hostility that appeared to surround Sirius. People avoided him at all costs, not even his fan club would speak to him. The teachers had all heard about the incident and went out of their way to make Sirius miserable. If he wasn't in detention he was doing an extra three feet of homework for every class. He was falling behind which made the work worse; most teachers gave extra homework for unfinished work.

It wasn't as if Sirius could get help, James and Remus weren't speaking to him and Lily hated him like no other. The Ravenclaws didn't much care for him either; he had dated and dumped one too many girls from that house. So his schoolwork piled up and detentions doubled. All of this nearly brought Sirius to his knees, even Regulus was worried for him, and that made Sirius more determined to do it all. He wouldn't fail, Sirius Black didn't fail!

Remus was very concerned. Sirius was looking threadbare and terribly thin. Remus wasn't sure when Sirius had actually eaten last. Something had to be done before the silly boy killed himself trying to do everything.

Remus perched on the side of his bed, deciding that this whole mess had gone on for too long. He could forgive, if not forget. Nobody had been hurt, at least not physically, and dragging this disaster around with him was ruining everyone's life. Remus had to do something and soon, but how could he break the ice with Sirius, who had been ignoring Remus as much as he had been ignoring Sirius.

Remus stood and went to find the missing Black, he was a Gryffindor if nothing else, and courage was a must. The library was a good shot nowadays; the poor boy was always in there, trying to get all the schoolwork done. It was terrible that the teachers felt the need to punish Sirius as well. It was uncalled for and not appropriate for the staff to do so.

As Remus stepped into the library, Madam Pince came up to him. He looked at her; she nodded towards the back of the library and whispered to him that 'if he didn't get that boy out of her library within the next ten minutes she was going to throw him out'. Remus laughed quietly and moved towards the back. Madam Pince was apparently the only one who didn't know about their spat.

"Sirius." said Remus, standing behind Sirius, putting his hands on Sirius's thinner shoulders. Sirius tensed and then turned his head to look up at Remus. Remus's heart broke a little more at Sirius's morose expression. His eyes were bloodshot, he had dark circles around his eyes, his face was pale and drawn, to be frank, he looked like death warmed over.

"Sirius, come on. Let's get you out of here." said Remus, lifting Sirius out of his chair. Remus packed up the papers and books on the desk with a flick of his wand and led Sirius out of the musty chamber.

"But, I have to finish…" started Sirius, trying to turn back into the library. Remus shook his head.

"No you don't. At least not right now, I'll help you later." Remus stumbled to a halt as Sirius dug his feet into the stone.

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why would you help me? You don't want to talk to me anymore, remember?" Remus sighed, and shook his head again. This was his fault.

"Sirius, I…I'm not mad anymore. I don't think I ever was. I just felt betrayed. Why did you do it? Why would you?"

"I didn't mean to it just slipped out. Can we not talk about this in the middle of the hallway?"

"Sure. Let's go back to the dorm. You can have a proper shower." said Remus. Sirius really did need a proper shower; he hadn't washed his hair in three weeks. It was beginning to look like Snape's.

Sirius lowered his head, a blush staining his cheeks. Remus led Sirius all the way back to the dorm, which was empty for the moment. James, once again, had detention and Peter was with his "special friend".

Remus dug through the tornado that was Sirius's school bag as the aforementioned boy took a thorough shower. There was a mound of parchment that Remus was sure equaled up to one of the trees in the Forbidden Forest, a stack of books that came up to Remus's knees, and a large handful of quill stubs and loose feathers. It was all in all a very depressing predicament.

Sirius stepped out of the bathroom with a towel around his hips and a small smile on his face. Remus was sure his face was turning twelve shades of red, but he smiled back. It was so good to see a smile on Sirius's face. The grin, small as it was, lit up his face and brought life back into his stormy grey eyes.

"I didn't mean to do that to you Remy, I care too much about you for that." Remus blushed harder still, but smiled up at Sirius.

"I know Sirius, but what caused you to do it?"

"Snape provoked me this time, I swear it. That little snot faced shit."

"Sirius! That is not the point."

"Yes it is. What he said was the reason I told. I just felt so…enraged, like the anger had consumed me and just spilled over." Sirius shook his head as he pulled his pajama bottoms on; Remus was pointedly ignoring the process.

"What could he possibly have said that made you that angry?" asked Remus, scooting back so that Sirius could lounge next to him on the bed.

"He wouldn't shut up. He said some really nasty things about you. And I just wanted him to be quiet. I thought maybe he would chicken out at the last minute."

"He obviously didn't. What was he saying about…me?" Remus turned his head to look at Sirius, still shuffling the parchment tree. Sirius shook his head vehemently.

"No. It's not worth repeating and I'm not going to. Not to your face, it was pretty harmful Rem."

"It's probably not anything I haven't heard before."

"That's the problem! You're so calm about it. You never worry about yourself, and your self esteem is so low I'm pretty sure that nobody short of a flobberworm could limbo under it." shouted Sirius, throwing his arms up into the air, nearly hitting Remus in the face.

Remus burst into startled laughter, "Where in Merlin's name did you learn about the limbo?"

Sirius blushed, "It was in a book a read, for muggle studies you know."

Remus had forgotten that Sirius had switched Divination for Muggle Studies. He had said something about Professor Hipswitch being a kooky old crackpot. Sirius had probably also switched because it made his mother mad. Which may not have been the best idea in Remus's opinion. You did not want to make an enemy of Walburga Black.

Remus struggled to stop laughing as Sirius was beginning to look put out. It was funny that, for all of Sirius's pureblooded-ness, he was essentially a muggle. He loved anything muggle. If it looked muggle, smelled muggle, and felt muggle Sirius was all over it. It made for some pretty embarrassing moments. Sirius already had dreams of grandeur that he would move into a muggle flat, own a muggle car, and wear muggle fashion. Not that he didn't wear muggle clothing already, where he got them Remus didn't know.

"I'm sorry Sirius, that was too funny. And my self esteem isn't that low." The sad thing was, however, was that his self-esteem was that low. He didn't really care much for himself; too many years thinking he was a monster had remedied any sort of positive thoughts.

"Yes it is Remus, don't lie again. You can't lie for peanuts." said Sirius, taking a risk to throw his arm around Remus and hugging him.

Remus smiled into Sirius's shoulder. Sirius knew him far too well.

"It's alright Padfoot. I forgive you. Now, lets get started on this mountain of work, hmm?" said Remus, plopping a stack of the parchment onto Sirius's flannel covered lap.

"Great." said Sirius, sarcasm dripping from his voice like honey on a fresh from the oven roll. Remus laughed again and patted Sirius's arm, they would get through this all right. The pain would fade eventually and until then Remus could bury it under a rock in the back of his mind.

Things went mostly back to normal for the small group. James had obviously missed his brother in all but blood and had welcomed him back with open arms. It may have also been because Remus wasn't all that great at coming up with pranks. The one that had gained Remus their friendship had been a one in a million, he had quickly fallen into the researcher position in the group.

Peter took a bit more persuasion but eventually convinced him that everything was fine. Sirius didn't take his refusal too personally, he never did. Sirius had also gotten his spirit back and, with the return of Remus, many of his fans.

Moony was the only one who took more than a little convincing. He still hadn't gotten over the fact that his best, and only, friends weren't what they claimed to be. Moony eventually got over it, the pain of not having anyone with him on the full moons got to be too much and actively went out to find his friends one night. He found them waiting just outside the Willow, waiting for him to come and play. He soon forgot all about the strange and somewhat terrible night that nearly tore his friends apart. Remus would never forget, but he forgave and gave up trying to bury it. It was a testament to his and Sirius's friendship that they were able to keep it alive after so much turmoil.


	7. Runaway

Disclaimer: I do not own anything. This is purely for entertainment purposes. I am not getting anything except pleasure.

A/N: So, I'm back again. I just want to thank everybody for reviewing and for reading the last few chapters. It means a lot to me. I want to go ahead and thank my beta. She is wonderful and makes me laugh.

**In the last chapter I referenced something about the Beatles. I was doing some research and realized that the Beatles were the sixties and the Marauders were in school during the seventies. This is a terrible brain fart on my part and I apologize for any confusion. Please insert any seventies Brit. band you wish. Sorry again. **

Becoming Moony: Runaway

Remus snorted and rolled over in his bed. His navy blue bed linens were tangled around his legs and pinned him firmly to the mattress. The white duvet lay abandoned on the hardwood floor, crumpled up like a pile of leaves. Remus flung his arms above his head and buried his face further into the feather pillow. It was so good to be lazy once in a while. That was what the summer was for, wasn't it?

The summer rain pattered across the roof and trickled down the window. Rain was soothing for Remus; it represented a new beginning. Remus turned one more time and brought his left arm under his body. His body was now so close to the edge of the double bed that one more move would…

FLUMP! Remus's body fell to the floor with all the gracefulness of a sack of potatoes. Remus's eyes snapped open and a groan came gasping from his throat. He pushed himself up onto all fours, his head hung down onto his chest. Remus shook his head to clear the remaining moths and tried to stand. The sheets that were still tangled around his knees brought him crashing back down.

"Remus? Are you alright, sweetheart?" came his mother's voice. Remus rolled onto his back and stared at the ceiling for a moment.

"I'm fine, mum." Helena paused in the doorway of the room, her eyes roving across her teenaged son. His upper body was sprawled across the floor with his lower body wrapped up in the linens. It was all in all a rather pathetic sight. A snorting laughter burst from her chest and she quickly tried to stifle it.

Remus gave his oh-so-loving mother a dirty glance as she laughed at him. This is why no teenager needed parents; they claimed to love them and then laughed at the slightest thing. Remus unwrapped the blue fabric from around his knees and stood, pulling the red flannel pajama bottoms more firmly around his waist. He sniffed as he walked past her, holding his head high so as to make him seem larger than her. Helena smiled and wrapped her arms around his abdomen.

"Oh, don't be mad at me, you just looked so pathetic I couldn't help it." said Helena, laying her head on Remus's shoulder. Her baby boy was far too tall now, he had shot up like a weed earlier in the summer and was now a strong five eleven. She felt rather short now, her five three not withstanding age.

Remus smiled down at his petite French mother, she was so lovely. He knew he couldn't stay mad at her for long, not when she cared about him so much. He brushed one lock of her graying hair behind her ear and nodded toward the stairs.

"I'm hungry. What's for breakfast?" Helena laughed once more and started down the rickety wooden stairs. Remus was always hungry now. She supposed it was a part of being a male teenage werewolf.

/page break/

Remus was halfway through a mound of pancakes slathered in maple syrup when an eagle owl swooped in through the open window. Remus recognized James's owl, Achilles, and raised an eyebrow. James didn't usually owl him until the end of the summer, not in the middle. They had already planned to meet at James's house for the last two weeks of school like they always did. So why was James owling him now?

Remus shoved the last bit of his fifth pancake into his mouth as he flipped the heavy parchment open. Remus promptly spit the piece of pancake out, staring at the missive in shock. This could not be happening, thought Remus.

Now Helena Lupin was not a fool, there were very few things that could make her son react like that. She really wanted to know what James had written to provoke such a vivid reaction from her usually steadfast child.

"What did James want, dear?" Remus's head snapped up and he stared at her, his shock evident.

"Sirius ran away."

"He WHAT!" yelled Helena, dropping the soapy pan back into the sink. She had known from Remus that Sirius's home life was not what one would call wonderful. In fact, Helena had reason to believe that Sirius was abused. She had seen Walburga Black and, although her son was taller and broader than she was, knew that she could easily cause damage to her eldest son.

"Yeah," started Remus as if in a daze, "James said that he was on his way to James's house."

"How is he getting there?"

"James doesn't know, all Sirius said was that he had his owl and that he was on his way. I'm going to assume that he hasn't got any money."

"Doesn't James live near Leeds?" asked Helena, gnawing on a knuckle in worry.

"Yeah." mumbled Remus, staring once more at the letter. Leeds to London on foot would take at least a day. Even as Padfoot it would take time. Remus didn't even know if Sirius knew how to get to James'.

"Remus."

"Yes, mum?" Remus looked at his mother, he had never heard her sound so forceful. Helena straightened up and looked at Remus, a stern look on her face.

"You owl Sirius this instant and tell him to come here first. He lives in London, we're closer to him than James is. It'll be dark before he gets halfway there, he will absolutely not travel through England in the dark!" Remus grinned at his mother; she would help a murderer if he seemed pathetic enough. When she got an idea in her mind there was nothing anyone could do to dissuade her from doing it.

Remus wrote a quick note to Sirius, giving him detailed directions on how to get to the Lupin Cottage, and told him to get his rear over here or face the wrath of Helena Lupin. Remus smiled as he watched the owl fly off. He was glad that Sirius had left his place of torment, but was sad that he thought of James before he thought of Remus.

/page break/

Sirius arrived at the small cottage at twenty past five, just in time for tea. As he stuffed his face with homemade pastries and small sandwiches he recounted his daring tale. Although the black eye and multitude of cuts he sported told a tale on its own.

Apparently Sirius had done one too many wrongs and Walburga had snapped. She had yelled, screamed, hit, and threw things at her oldest son just to get all of the tension out.

"I decided that I didn't want to be there anymore. I'm seventeen, I can move out on my own. I'll be okay." mumbled Sirius, still eating like a starved man. He probably was half starved, thought Remus, who knew what the Blacks had been feeding him. Sirius had always been skinny, but he couldn't weigh more than Remus and he was at least four inches taller. It wasn't healthy for Sirius to weigh so little, and Remus could see Helena mentally planning meals, resolving herself to have fattened up Sirius by at least one stone in the week he planned to stay at the Lupins.

Sirius had ended up staying at the Lupins' as James's parents still weren't back from their impromptu holiday in Greece. The three boys had decided that it would be safer to face Josephina Potter's wrath with a plan in mind. So for the time being, Sirius would stay with the Lupins.

Remus was both excited and at a loss. He was excited because he could take Sirius to see all the "wicked muggle things". He was at a loss because Sirius would be staying in his room and Remus didn't know if he could control himself for a week.

After tea, Remus took Sirius up to his room. The room wasn't all that special, it had white walls with a blue border, a light brown desk and bookshelf, a blue denim easy chair, and, of course, the double bed with blue and white linens. All in all, it was pretty boring compared to what Sirius was used to.

When Sirius walked into the bedroom, his eyes were immediately drawn to the piles and piles of books that littered the room. The lone bookshelf was buckling under the weight of all the books and more books covered the desk and most of the floor. There were even books resting on the windowsill.

Sirius started to laugh at the indignant look on Remus's face. "There are too many damn books in this room, Remus."

Remus smiled at Sirius and shook his head. Of all the things to notice, Sirius would only see the masses of books.

/page break/

Sirius was bored. And when Sirius was bored somebody needed to entertain him. Sirius thumped down the stairs and into the living room. He was too busy thinking of what he wanted to do that he nearly tripped over John Lupin's legs. As it was he ended up stumbling over the man's long legs and landing face first into a red armchair.

"Sorry about that Sirius. I'm afraid that once I'm on the floor I can't get up anymore." chuckled John, pulling his body upright. The man was lounged across the caramel colored rug, a book and a cup of tea at his side. What John had been doing on the floor in the first place was beyond Sirius.

"Sir?"

"Oh, none of that 'sir' stuff, Sirius. 'Sir' was my father. I was simply trying out a new reading position. I've always been confused as to how teenage females manage to lie on their stomachs for long periods of time without moving."

Sirius laughed, John Lupin was very strange. He loved to experiment and research. He would give his body to science if they would let him read the results.

John laughed as well, his grey hair flopping over into his blue eyes, which twinkled with mirth. Sirius really liked it with the Lupins; they were normal and represented everything that his family hated. Even the Potters weren't this relaxed; Harold Potter had a strange affinity for proper dining techniques.

"So, Mr. Black, what brings you into my humble living room with such a morose look upon your visage?" asked John, sitting up against the couch. Sirius laughed once more and sat down next to John.

"I'm slightly bored and Remus is busy doing his homework." said Sirius, making a face at the word 'homework'. John nodded knowingly and patted Sirius's knee.

"I know how that is. Helena is frequently telling how boring I am. No matter, I'm sure we can drag Remus away from his schoolwork for more than an hour. We need to go into town anyways."

"Okay. Want me to go get him?" asked Sirius, standing. John nodded, but as Sirius began to walk away he called Sirius back.

"Help me up before you go, Sirius. I don't think I can do it by myself anymore." said John, grasping onto the hand Sirius extended to him. Sirius pulled John to his feet and moved back up the stairs to the "blue room", as he had dubbed it a day earlier. As he hit the doorway, Remus looked up at him.

"Get up you lump! Your dad says we're going somewhere." said Sirius, bodily lifting Remus from the chair and placing him on his feet. Remus wriggled to get loose and looked up at the very excited boy.

"Alright. You better get dressed. You can't go into a public place with your pajamas on." Remus replied, nodding towards Sirius's red and gold plaid pajama bottoms and black t-shirt.

"Oh, yeah I suppose that would be a good idea." said Sirius, glancing down at himself.

/page break/

Remus pulled Sirius along as they walked down the main street. Sirius was too busy staring at everything muggle to walk himself. Remus had found the one thing that would make Sirius Black drool more than food or girls: cars. Muggle automobiles were Sirius's weakness. The moment he had seen the Lupin's 1970 Volkswagen Cabrio Beetle, Sirius had begun his almost fanatic obsession over muggle cars.

"Moony."

"What, Padfoot?"

"I want a car."

"YOU WHAT!" shouted Remus, turning to stare at the estranged Black. Sirius looked guiltily down at the pavement and mumbled that he wanted a muggle automobile. Remus shook his head and patted Sirius on the head. The poor delusional child, thought Remus, wanted an automobile.

"Now, Sirius, you don't know how to drive. You don't have a license. You can't…"

"Now why not, Rem? Why can't the boy learn to drive?" asked John, putting his hand on Sirius's shoulder.

"Dad, you can't possibly think that this is a good idea." pleaded Remus, mentally begging his father not to fall into Sirius's foolishness.

"I think it's a great idea. Not to worry Sirius, I'll teach you how to drive. It'll be up to you to buy your shiny car though." said John, steering Sirius on down the street. Remus trooped after them, hoping that this was just a phase and Sirius didn't really want to learn how to drive. How John planned on teaching Sirius to drive was beyond Remus. John had no idea how to drive, Helena had taught Remus and helped him get his license.

"Remus, why don't you go get the groceries. Sirius and I will go and look around the auto shop for awhile."

"Dad. This is not a good idea."

"Oh don't be such a stiff, Moony. Let me learn how to drive. Please?" Sirius looked up at Remus, his lethal puppy eyes boring into Remus. Remus knew this was a terrible, no good, bad idea. A pureblooded wizard should not learn how to drive a muggle automobile. But he couldn't deny the eyes, many a person had fallen to Sirius-Black's- Nearly-Patented-I'm-So-Cute-Puppy-Dog-Eyes, and it looked as though Remus would be next. The only people who hadn't fallen to them had to be Walburga Black and Minerva McGonagall.

Remus sighed, "Fine. But I'll be the one to teach you. You know you've been forbidden to drive by mum, dad."

John had enough decency to look sheepish. Sirius was too busy jumping up and down in the street to notice.

Doing the rest of the chores that needed to be done around town passed relatively quickly, the only hang up being when Sirius saw a motorbike for the first time. His exclamations of "What's that Moony?" and "Its pretty, can I have one?" still echoed in Remus's rather sensitive ears.

/page break/

Why, oh, why was Remus so damn nice? Why did he have to decide that it was a good idea for him to teach Sirius how to drive? Why did he have to be the good friend with a muggle mother who knew how to drive? Why Remus?

These thoughts ran rampant through Remus' head as Sirius swerved around lampposts and screeched around roundabouts. The man had only been driving for a couple of minutes and Remus, who transformed into a bloodthirsty monster once a month, was paralyzed with fear. Sirius was a reckless nutcase who needed to be locked up and never, ever be allowed to drive. Ever.

Sirius was having the time of his adolescent life, he felt free and weightless. He punched the pedal that made the car go faster and let out a manly yell. Remus shut his eyes and tried to get Sirius to stop.

"Sirius, you really need to slow down. The car is not meant for this and it could flip over if you're not careful. Please slow down, for my sanity at least. Please?" whimpered Remus, who could no longer contain his fright at the demonic driver's tactics. He closed his eyes and gripped the side of the car, praying and hoping that it would be over soon.

Thankfully Sirius did slow down and finally pulled over to the side of the road. Luckily there was nobody else on the back road, so nobody had to see Remus heave a sigh and peel his eyelids from his corneas.

"Hey Moony, what does this button…. oooh, that's cool." Sirius had managed to get the convertible top to go down on the poor Cabrio and was gleefully making it go up and down to please him. Remus flopped his head onto the headrest and gave thanks to the gods who may have protected him at his time of terror.

"Sirius. I need you to either not drive like a nutcase or to get out of the driver's seat and let me drive us home. And no, there is no third option." said Remus, determined to make Sirius see reason. Sirius pouted and promised to be more careful, so long as Remus let him drive some more. He loved to drive, it made him feel good. And for Remus to threaten to take that away…well, Sirius didn't want to loose his sense of freedom, so he promised to be more careful while Remus was in the car. Now, if he was by himself? That was another matter entirely.

Remus knew that making Sirius slow down was torture for the young man. He knew that driving a muggle car gave Sirius a sense of liberty that even a broomstick couldn't. A broomstick was just another way that the pureblooded society pinned down their youth. They had the best brooms on the market and got them lessons three times a week for as long as the child wanted them.

All in all it was a fruitless existence and one that Sirius was probably tired of. Remus understood, he really did, he just needed Sirius to be more cautious with his newfound freedom.

"Hey, Rem, I'm not really that bad a driver, am I?" asked Sirius, a sad look upon his face. Remus felt his heart crack. He wasn't a bad driver, maybe just a little speed obsessed.

"No, Padfoot. You aren't a bad driver, you actually learned quite fast. You just need to control the urge to put on insane bursts of speed." Sirius really was a fast learner, he quickly learned all the basics and wanted to progress on to something more difficult.

"Hey, you said this was all about practice right?"

"Right. Why?"

"How am I supposed to practice if I don't have a car? I know James doesn't have one."

"I don't even think James knows what a car is Sirius. We'll figure something out." Remus laughed at the mental image of James looking at a car, little question marks forming about his head. Sirius laughed as well, seeming to see the same image.

"Come on Padfoot. Let's get home before my mother worries herself into the kitchen."

"Huh?"

"My mum has a tendency to bake like a fiend if she is left to worry to much. My dad calls it Worry Baking Syndrome. Apparently its common in French muggle women with werewolf children and wizarding husbands."

Sirius looked at Remus, a blank look on his face, not quite sure if Remus was joking or being serious. After a moment Sirius decided that Remus was being a little of both…he was probably joking about the syndrome but was serious about his mother "Worry Baking". Remus shook his head and patted Sirius on the arm.

"Lets go Sirius, unless you want me to drive." Remus sat up in his seat, confident that Sirius would be more cautious in the future. Sirius pulled away from the side of the curb and turned to go back to the Lupin's cottage.

Sirius managed to drive less recklessly and with much less speed. He only hit over the speed limit twice. By the time they got back to the house, Remus was very proud at how mature Sirius was acting. And he knew it was an act, for Sirius Black was not mature and delighted in telling people that growing old is mandatory, but growing up is optional. Remus knew for a fact that Sirius would never grow up. His childhood had been severely repressed by the woman he had to call his mother.

Their arrival was punctuated by John's voice telling Helena to "put down the mixer and step away from the confectioner's sugar." Remus laughed and walked through the open door, where the smell of chocolate chip biscuits permeated the air.

"Mum, we're back in one piece." Remus called, walking up behind his mother, who was brandishing her whisk at her husband like it was Godric Gryffindor's sword.

"Don't tell her that, Rem. I am loving these biscuits." came Sirius's rather muffled voice. Remus turned to see Sirius burying himself in the small mountain of biscuits Helena had already prepared. He had two in each of his hands and had another stuffed into his mouth. Remus shook his head in exasperation. If you presented food to Sirius he would eat it, even Remus had to admit though, his mother was a great pastry baker. She claimed it was her French Italian heritage. She could bake like a fiend and made a mean spaghetti sauce.

Helena was startled into a laugh and she put her weapon of mass cooking down on the counter. John stood from where he was cowering, putting his platter "shield" down as well.

"Well, Sirius, I will bake you as many as you want. In fact I have a Black Forest Cake in the oven if you're hungry. I also have a dozen Cinnamon Sugar Biscuits in as well." Sirius was drooling all over the floor by the time Helena had finished speaking.

"I'm starving." was all Sirius could say before the thought of so many sweets overpowered him.

"Well then, I'll go ahead and start dinner shall I? How about spaghetti?"

"Yeah, that would be good. And then…cakes!" cried Sirius, scrambling up the stairs to make himself presentable for dinner. It was a behavior that was a little too permanently ingrained to ever go away entirely.

/page break/

Remus sat on his bed and moped. Sirius had gone on to James's house earlier that morning. Flooing instead of walking. They had explained the situation to the Potters and they had welcomed Sirius with open arms. Not that Remus had expected anything less, Josephina Potter, who had always wanted more children but couldn't have them, treated Sirius like he was her own. She had from the moment she had met him back in the summer after their first year.

Remus really wished that Sirius didn't have to go, but Sirius had promised James that he would stay with the Potters. And besides, thought Remus, it wasn't like I'm not going to see Sirius ever again. It was true; Remus would be leaving for the Potter's house within a week and a half. They would go to Diagon Alley and both James and Sirius would spend enough money to make Remus' head spin. Both boys loved to spend money. It probably came from the fact that James was an only child and Sirius's family had enough money to buy the Queen out of Buckingham Palace. At least, Sirius used to be able to; Remus wasn't sure what Sirius's financial status was.

The house seemed so quiet without Sirius's boisterous self living in it. Even the elder Lupins seemed down. Helena had gotten used to Sirius eating anything and everything that, now, she didn't know what to do. John had gotten used to Sirius always asking him things that he felt rather lonely. Remus of course had nothing to do. They had finished their homework; help from John and biscuits and cake from Helena made it go faster than ever before. So Remus was stuck being bored for a week and a half.

Remus sincerely hoped that Sirius was having the time of his life and didn't feel as lonely as Remus did right now. He simply looked toward the future and to the time when three of the four Marauders, Peter was forbidden by his mother, would be together again. Remus picked up his newest novel, The Lord of the Rings, and begun to read the time away.

A/N: There it is! Yay me! Hope you enjoyed it. I'll try to get the next chapter finished soon.


	8. Forever In A Day

Disclaimer: Not mine, not mine & not mine. It isn't mine so don't bother trying to sue me. This is purely for my enjoyment.

Becoming Moony: Forever In A Day

Remus stared in astonishment as Sirius and James strolled down the hall. They had bright pink feathers sticking up every which way and their skin was neon blue. It looked as though neither boy cared. They simply strutted down the hall as if they looked normal and that was odd in itself.

"You two do realize that you have hot pink feathers everywhere and your skin is a horrid shade of blue, right?" said Remus, as the two young men reached him.

"A horrid shade…how very proper. He's always so proper, isn't he, James? It's right boring is what it is." responded Sirius with a very posh accent. James nodded solemnly in answer.

"Indeed, it's positively dreadful to have such a disgustingly exhausting vocabulary. It's worse that he deems it appropriate to flaunt such a vocabulary onto us plebeians." said James, adopting the same infuriating accent. Remus considered smacking them both to make them shut up.

"Moony, we need help. We were experimenting and something went wrong, again." whispered Sirius, leaning close while James continued to prattle on, which Remus figured was to distract the viewers.

"Why should I help you? I've been abusing you with my oh-so-extensive vocabulary." asked Remus, folding his arms across his chest. Sirius froze and looked down at the stone.

"Because you're wonderful and you love me?" asked Sirius, not seeing how his words had affected Remus. Remus laughed even though his heart was pounding wildly. It felt just like in second year when Sirius had figured out about Remus's furry side. But Remus knew that Sirius didn't mean anything by it, he couldn't, and he wasn't into boys the last time Remus checked.

"Yes, I'll help you, but you owe me big time." Remus called over his shoulder as he began the trek back to the dorm rooms. Sirius and James rushed after him anxious to remove the odd colors from their bodies.

Two hours, three bars of soap, a bottle of Mr. Marven's Magical Mess Remover, and six sore arms later the strange coloring still hadn't come off. Remus began to think they were going to need a higher power to fix this mess.

"How the...hell…did you…. manage to get this done to you?" grunted Remus, scrubbing at Sirius's arm. James had quit after a painful hour and a half. Sirius claimed to have a higher tolerance for pain and wanted to continue.

"Don't know. We were messing around with some potions ingredients and suddenly it went up in a very pretty smoke." said James. Remus knew then that they would need someone very versed in potions to get rid of this.

/page break/

It took another hour and a half to convince Lily to even attempt the project. Remus had to beg and plead and offer to do anything she wanted before she agreed. As Lily and Remus trooped up to the dorm she warned him:

"If Potter even thinks about doing something perverse I am going to leave him the way he is. Got it?" Remus got it and made a mental note to warn Sirius and James to sit quietly.

"Lily flower! How are you this…day?" started James, stopping with Remus's across the neck slashing movements. James's eyebrow disappeared into his hairline as he stared at Remus. Remus shook his head and mentally warned James not to do want he was about to do.

"Alright, idiots, not including Remus, let's see what you managed to do to yourselves." Lily settled in to work, pausing only to grab certain potions from her room. It took four hours, they successfully managed to miss dinner, and a whole box of potion ingredients to counteract the original potion but Lily managed to get James and Sirius back to their normal color. Remus smiled; glad that he wouldn't have to deal with their whining if it had stuck.

"Uh...thank you, Lily. I, we appreciate it." stammered James. Lily looked at him like an alien had just crash-landed in the dorm room, but she smiled tentatively back. Remus grinned, that was almost human of James, who did have a tendency to act like a spoiled snot. He was very proud of James and sincerely hoped that he kept this up.

"You're welcome." replied Lily as she carried her supplies out of the room.

"Did you see that? She smiled at me! She didn't hit me! Remus, what did I do?" asked James, dancing around excitedly. James was so happy that Lily hadn't caused him bodily harm that he had forgotten what he had done to get to that point! Remus shook his head in exasperation. The poor guy never caught a break.

"That was called acting human, James. It's all the rage right now, you know." said Remus. Sirius laughed and slung a normal colored arm around Remus.

"Very funny, Lupin, very funny. There's no need to be sarcastic." drawled James, patting Remus's arm.

"Let's go raid the kitchen. We'll find Peter while we're at it." stated Sirius, hunger evident in his voice.

"Hey Sirius, remind me when we get back to give you the biscuits my mother sent you this morning." Remus said, putting his arm around Sirius as well. Remus could see Padfoot's ear perk up at the mention of biscuits.

"What type did she send?"

"It doesn't matter what type, James. The woman is a complete genius at baking. I'll eat anything she makes me."

"You eat anything anybody makes you, Padfoot."

"At least I'm not a wuss, Prongs, you couldn't even hold still for a little harmless scrubbing."

"Why you…"

"Now boys, lets all calm down and go raid the kitchens like normal teenage boys. Okay?"

"Yes, Moony."

"Yes, Mother."

THAP! Went the back of Sirius's head as Remus's hand connected with it. A miserable ouch came from the vicinity of James's left kneecap.

/page break/

It was Christmas once again and all through the dorm not a creature stirred, not even a mouse. Well, except for in the seventh year boys' dorm. Remus and Sirius were they only seventh years that had stayed for the holidays. Sirius didn't want to intrude on the Potter's so soon after Harold's murder by Death Eaters and the full moon was on Christmas Eve, so Remus didn't want to cause his mother any undue stress.

Both boys were happy enough basking in the quietness of the dorm and each other's company. It did get a little uncomfortable for each boy was harboring a secret that could make or break their friendship. Love was the secret that was kept, but little did they know it was about to be spoken.

"Hey Remus?"

"Hmmm?" hummed Remus, barely paying attention to anything other than the book in front of him. Tollkien sure knew how to draw people into his books, thought Remus.

"Have you ever liked someone but didn't want to say anything because you were afraid of their reaction?" asked Sirius, successfully snapping Remus out of his book induced stupor.

"Why do you ask?" Remus was a tad worried. If Sirius had some unknown crush, what did that mean for Remus?

"Well, I like this person and I don't want to hurt our friendship. Its really strong and I almost ruined it once, I don't want to do it again."

"If this person is your friend then it shouldn't matter. And what do you mean by person? Is this person not a girl?"

"No. It's a he."

"I thought you liked girls?"

"Well, I do. But I like this guy too. I only like this one guy, not any others."

Remus sighed, "Oh. Well like I said if this person is great enough for you to risk your straightness for them then it shouldn't matter. Even if they don't feel that way about you it shouldn't ruin your friendship."

"Oh. Hey, Remus?" Remus sighed again and put his book aside, it was obvious he wasn't going to get through it tonight.

"Yes, Sirius?"

"Um…"

"Sirius?" Remus started as he looked up into a very nervous face. A face that was very close to his own. The face that was reflected in his dreams in this same position almost every night.

"Remus. I don't know how I can say this but…"

"But…?"

"I think I'm in love with you."

Remus couldn't move, he couldn't speak. Sirius had just confessed his love for him and he didn't want to wake up and find that it was a dream.

"And like you said, it shouldn't matter if you don't feel the same. I can deal with that. It's not like…"

"Sirius?"

"Huh?"

"Shut up and kiss me." Remus stated before pulling Sirius's face to his. He felt like being spontaneous and this was as spontaneous as he could get at the moment.

Their first kiss together wasn't perfect. It was nervous and full of teeth and awkward limbs, but it was theirs. It was a moment that they could share for, hopefully, years to come. As Sirius melded his lips to Remus's he wondered how he could be so lucky as to have Remus care for him as well.

All Remus could think of was how well they seemed to fit together and how incredibly lucky he was. To find someone who didn't care about his furriness or any secrets he ended up keeping. As he ran his hands up into the black liquid curls, he knew this was what love was.

/page break/

Remus and Sirius stood side by side on the platform, waiting impatiently for their two other friends to arrive from the break. Inside the crevice created by their robes their hands lay entwined. As the train pulled into the station they reluctantly pulled apart their hands. It wouldn't do for the entire school to know about their relationship before their friends did.

As James stepped off the train, Sirius and Remus moved towards him. They stopped at the look that covered James' face. It was a look of shock and wonderment. It was a look not normally seen on James Potter. And, quite frankly, it worried Remus. That was not normal and it looked as though he had been stunned.

"Hey, Prongs, what's going on?" asked Sirius, coming to stand next to the stunned looking male.

"She said yes."

"Huh? Who said yes to what?" asked Remus, coming up on the other side and placing a comforting hand on James's elbow.

"Lily. She said yes to going to Hogsmeade with me." Sirius and Remus looked at each other in shock. Lily had said yes? To James Potter?

"It's the end of the world and I feel fine." mumbled Remus, looping an arm through James's and leading his towards the carriages. Sirius snickered; he had apparently heard Remus's joke.

They managed to weasel the rest of the story out of James on the ride back to Hogwarts. James had evidently had some more human moments, which probably came from his father's sudden death, and had been rather nice to Lily. She had, in Sirius's words, had a moment of temporary insanity and said yes to his latest invitation to the village.

Sirius glanced over at Remus and they made a mental agreement to let James have his glory and to not mention their relationship just yet.

At dinner later that night, James had yet another out of body experience. As Lily walked by he said hello and told her he was looking forward to their date. Lily no longer had the deer in the headlight look when James said something nice. She probably thought that he had had a major mental meltdown with the news of his father's death. Which was partially true, thought Remus, James hadn't been well the first week after the news came. He was positive that Josephina was worse off, all alone in the large house the Potter's had.

/page break/

As December turned into January and January turned into February, the group known as the Marauder's seemed to split at the seams. Peter had a girlfriend, even though no one had met her. James was still dating Lily, which was miraculous. Both of them seemed to spend less and less time with the other two Marauders and more time with their girlfriends. This did not necessarily bother Remus but it seemed to bother Sirius to no end.

It came to a head one night in March. James had gone with Lily on a romantic, midnight stroll and Peter was off with his girl doing who knew what. Remus was in bed reading his latest book and Sirius had been moping about the dorm for the last three hours.

Remus felt the bed dip and suddenly a warm body was pressed up against him and a face was buried in his stomach.

"Can I help you?" asked Remus, curling his fingers into the head of hair. Sirius shook his head and wrapped his arms around Remus's waist.

"Remmie, do you think that James doesn't want to spend time with me anymore?"

"Why would you think something like that, Sirius? You know James thinks of you as the brother he never had." said Remus, putting the book down.

"I don't know."

Remus waited a moment and then asked, "You don't?"

Sirius shook his head, "No."

Remus rolled his eyes up toward the canopy and let out a breath. It was going to be a long night if Sirius insisted on acting like a two year old every time he had a problem with somebody.

"Are you sure you don't know. Because I'm sure you do."

"Yeah I know. Its just that he always seems to want to spend time with Evans and none with me. You realize we haven't played one prank since November?"

Sirius was right; they hadn't played a prank since November. The school had gotten so used to there being no pranks that a sense of well being had fallen over the castle.

"Sirius, it'll be okay. You know that James isn't purposely ignoring you. He just, wants to spend time with Lily. He has been "lusting" after her for six years you know."

"Yeah, hopefully its just a phase. We can name it the Evil Evans phase."

"Sirius!"

"Sorry, Remmie." Sirius moved up until his head lay on Remus's shoulder. Remus rested his head on top of Sirius's. Times like these were what made life worth living.

"I wouldn't worry about it, Sirius. It'll get better, once the newness of his relationship wears off James will be back. It'll be okay, you'll see. Besides you have me, right?"

Sirius smiled up at Remus, "You're right, Remmie."

"Of course." Sirius laughed and pressed a kiss to Remus's neck. Remus opened his book back up, glad that Sirius was better and wasn't liable to jump off the astronomy tower if pushed too hard.

"Hey Rem?"

"Yes?"

"Can I stay with you tonight? I don't really feel like being by myself." Sirius sounded so pathetic that Remus didn't have the heart to say no. The fact that Remus and Sirius hadn't come out about their relationship yet didn't matter.

"Sure. Get in you great pathetic lump." Sirius grinned widely and slid underneath the red covers.

"You aren't going to read all night are you?" asked Sirius and Remus shook his head.

"Just let me finish this chapter and then I'll put it down. Now be quiet and let me read."

"You love your books more than me don't you? You're such a cold lover." Sirius whined, rolling over.

Remus shut the book with a snap. "Sirius, don't be silly. I'd rather have you than a pile of books any day."

Sirius grinned once more and rolled back to face Remus, "Good."

Remus put his arms around Sirius and closed his eyes, content to fall asleep in the arms of the man he cared deeply for.

/page break/

"What the hell is going on here?" came an irate voice from above the sleeping puppies. Their eyes snapped open in tandem. Sirius yawned as Remus shot straight up from his position wrapped around Sirius's chest.

James Potter stood above Remus's bed and stared at the guilty looking puppies. Or looked at one guilty puppy and one sleepy puppy. Remus reached behind him and wrapped his hand around Sirius's.

"Well James, I am in bed with Remus. What does it look like?" said Sirius, putting his other arm around Remus. Remus blanched and slid back into Sirius's warmth. That may not be the best way to break the news to the highly volatile Gryffindor.

"It looks as though something is happening here that I'm not sure that I want to know about."

"Be as that may James, I'm not giving Remus up for anything. Not even for you." Remus looked at Sirius in surprise, that was something new. James looked quite taken aback, as though he had never seen Sirius before then. This was very odd for everyone.

"I'm okay with it, I guess. I just didn't expect that you two would be….like this. I can get used to it. Is this because of me? Because I'm not spending enough time with you guys?"

"No James, this has nothing to do with you. Although we wouldn't mind seeing you around some more." replied Remus, glad that James didn't seem to be angry.

"Great. You know, Lily said that you two were together, but I didn't believe her. I guess I should listen to her more often. Um, anyways, it's time for breakfast." James said, laughing before heading out the door. Peter scrambled out after him, saying nothing to the two still in bed.

"Well, I guess we'd better get to breakfast."

"Yeah."

Remus stepped out of the bed and padded into the bathroom. "We don't have much time before class starts. We should conserve water don't you think?"

Sirius was out of the bed, stripped, and into the shower before Remus had even finished speaking. Remus laughed and followed the crazed male into the bathroom.

A/N: There you have it. I am being insanely productive. Actually I was with my mother at a bazaar thing for a high school and had a LOT of extra time. Very boring, the highlight of my weekend was getting to use the credit card machine.


	9. Moving Complications

Disclaimer: It's not mine. I'm not J.K. Rowling and right now I have no wish to be. I'm doing this purely for my personal happiness, and for everyone who reads this.

A/N: Thank you to all who read this. And to my beta who may be slow at times, is still wonderful and talented.

Becoming Moony: Moving Complications

Remus grunted as he pushed the large sofa up the steep stairs. How did he let Sirius talk him into this? This was madness, who the hell had decided to put them on the third floor? For two hundred and twenty-nine pounds a week they could have put the two on a lower floor, or at least have a larger lift.

Remus's foot slipped on the next step and he fell to his knees, nearly getting crushed by the red velvet sofa. Sirius's head popped up over the top with a concerned look.

"You okay, Rem?" Remus nodded at him and stood once more. The sooner they got this stupid piece of furniture up into the flat the better. The two eighteen year olds maneuvered the sofa up the rest of the stairs and into their newly rented flat.

"Sirius, I realize that you love this sofa but it is a pain in the ass and it almost doesn't fit. How do you propose to fix this?" asked Remus, putting one hand on the insulting sofa and the other on his hip. Sirius shrugged and pulled out his wand.

"Easy, Rem, just a little swish and flick…"

"Sirius! We are in a muggle area, the door is wide open and you are going to get us sent to a mental institute if you don't stop waving your wand around!" said Remus, pulling the aforementioned wand out of Sirius's hand.

"Oh, don't be such a worrier, Remus! No one is going to wander in here and see-"

"HI! I'm your next door neighbor, I just came by to say hello." came a voice from the open doorway. Remus raised an eyebrow at Sirius, who managed to look properly chastised. Remus turned to great their newest "friend".

The girl who stood in their doorway was of average size and of almost average build. She had brown hair cut into a bob and wide blue eyes. She was wearing jeans and a shirt that read "Don't make me send my flying monkeys after you!" She was obviously not your average teenager.

"Hello. Um, I'm Remus and this moron is Sirius." Remus said, gesturing behind him at Sirius, successfully hitting him in the nose. Sirius smiled at the girl while rubbing his nose irritably.

"Hi, I'm Tory. I live just down the hall. Where are you two from?"

"Um, just outside Manchester." replied Remus.

"I'm from London." mumbled Sirius, putting a hand on Remus's shoulder.

"Yorkshire. So do you need any help bringing your stuff up?"

"That would be great." said Sirius, brightening up considerably. The three teens wandered down the stairs and out to where the Cabrio sat, piled up with all of their junk. The poor thing was nearly buckling under the weight; Remus wondered how they had managed to get from Leeds to Manchester and then Manchester to London without having to do some serious wand work.

"Wow, you two have a lot of stuff. Is there a car under there?" Tory said, leaning over. She had conveniently leaned over just in front of Sirius, forcing him to stop abruptly. Remus laughed and leaned over to pull out another box. Tory was obviously interested in Sirius, too bad that he was taken.

The three managed to successfully bring everything into the house in less than three hours. The moving truck that had helped them move the larger furniture had already left. Remus had paid the man and he had sped off, the old-fashioned trunks and mounds of odd-looking furniture had probably spooked him a bit.

"You guys want to go to lunch?" Tory asked, seeming to delight in the two boys.

"Lunch is good. Let's go, Rem. We can unpack later." said Sirius, pulling Remus along behind the other teens. Remus shook his head and let himself be pulled along. When food was introduced Sirius Black would still do anything for it.

They ate lunch at a new Chinese restaurant that was just down the street from the apartment. Sirius, although he had never had Chinese food before, seemed to love it instantly and announced that they should have egg rolls and lo mien for every meal. Tory snorted into her princess chicken and Remus rolled his eyes above his sweet and sour chicken.

"Are you two Pagan or something?" asked Tory as they walked back to the flats. Remus stumbled over his shoelace and Sirius furrowed his brow.

"What's a Pa-"

"Why do you ask?"

"Oh, no reason. It's just one of those boxes of books I carried was open and it had a spell book on top of it. It's cool if you are, I just wondered." replied Tory, shrugging her shoulders as she pulled out the key to the building. Remus exchanged a look with a befuddled Sirius.

"Remmie? What's a Pagan?"

"It's a religion, Padfoot, don't worry your pretty little head about it." whispered Remus, straightening up as Tory turned to look at them.

"Do you need any help unpacking?"

"No, thank you Tory. We've got it, besides we've already monopolized your afternoon."

"Alright Remus, just let me know if you need any help. Bye boys!" waved Tory as she walked over to her own flat door.

"She's nice, if not a little odd." said Remus, pulling out his key to the flat.

"Remus, I'm a little odd. Dumbledore is a little odd. Tory is almost completely normal."

Remus laughed as he opened the door and promptly fell over a box. It was Sirius's turn to laugh. Remus lay on the floor and glared up at his lover. Sirius extended a hand to help pull Remus up.

"Gee thanks Sirius. I feel very loved." Remus pouted and folded his arms across his chest.

Sirius wrapped his arms around his petit lover and rested his chin on Remus's shoulder. "You know I love you, right?"

Remus gave a small smile and glanced at Sirius, placing his cheek against Sirius's. Sirius pressed a small kiss underneath Remus's ear, right where it tickled. Remus gave a startled laugh and tried to pull away from Sirius. He kept Remus pinned close to him and started kissing up Remus's long neck, a grin on his face.

"Sirius! Stop, that tickles. I can't take it." laughed Remus. Sirius was laughing as well by now and laid Remus across the floor, kissing him all the way.

Sirius stopped Remus's laughter by kissing him passionately. They kissed leisurely for a few minutes, breaking apart only when they were both out of breath. Remus dropped his head back down to the floor as Sirius kissed his way down Remus's neck. Remus brought one hand up to run it lazily through the dark locks in front of him. As Sirius amused himself with Remus's collarbone, there came a tapping at the window.

A groan came deep from Sirius's chest as he leaned up on his elbows to glare at the owl that had dared interrupt him. Remus tilted his head back to look upside down at the poor barn owl that may not survive if Sirius's growling was anything to go by. It carried a rather large envelope and was bobbing up and down, flapping its wings hard. Remus squeezed the back of Sirius's neck and motioned to the window.

"Go let the poor thing in. It's probably exhausted."

"But Remmie, I was just getting to the good part." whined Sirius, resting his head in the crook of Remus's neck.

"Sirius, I live here now. Believe me, I'll still be here in five minutes. Now go get the poor owl in before a muggle sees."

"Fine." said Sirius, pouting as he got up off of the floor and Remus. Remus turned over onto his stomach and watched Sirius open the window, letting the exhausted looking owl in. Sirius pulled the parchment off of the owl's leg and brought it over to where Remus lay.

"What's it say?"

"What's it matter? You said I could come back in five minutes and you'd still be like this. It's been less than five minutes so I get to snog you senseless."

"That is very warped logic, Pads."

"Says you, Mister I'm-Always-Right. But right now I'm going to snog you."

"Are you going to snog me senseless?"

"No. I'm going to snog you stupid."

Remus grinned and wrapped his arms around Sirius's neck, "That sounds better."

/page break/

As the month passed they fell into an easy pattern. They would wake up, shower, go to their respective jobs, come home, eat, shag, and go to sleep. It got rather boring after awhile, or so Remus thought. They needed a way to get out of this pattern that dragged both of them down into the pit of old married couple-ness. But what? Maybe an inspirational conversation would do the trick.

"Hey, Pads?"

"Remmie?"

"If you were an ice cream sundae what would you have on you?" Sirius, who had been taking a rather large gulp of Butterbeer, promptly spat it across the table,

"WHAT?" Remus glanced at him, innocence on his face. Sirius looked at him, disbelief making his face seem somewhat distorted.

"If you were an ice cream sundae, what would you have on you?"

"I think you've finally lost your mind."

"Just answer the goddamn question, Sirius." Remus glared at him, placing his tea mug down. Sirius gulped and decided it was better for his health that he answered Remus' rather odd question.

"I suppose I would have chocolate sauce, whipped cream, and maybe a nice caramel sauce. Yeah! A three maraschino cherries, with a small sprinkling of nuts. Walnuts? No, almonds. I like almonds better." replied Sirius, having a tad too much fun with the actual answer.

"Why three maraschino cherries? Why not just one?"

Sirius frowned, "Well, because three is a better number. That's why." Remus laughed and picked his tea cup up again.

/page break/

Remus was sitting in his chair, reading a wonderful novel, when a sudden knock on the door startled him. He got up and went to the door, wondering whom it could be, because, really, someone visiting at nine in the morning was ridiculous for anyone.

Peter stood on the other side of the door, a worried look on his face. Remus ushered him in and made Peter a quick cup of tea.

"Why the sudden visit, Peter? Not that I mind or anything, it's just, you usually aren't this…erm…spontaneous."

"Yeah, I just needed somebody to talk to. My mum isn't that great anymore, getting old, I think." Peter laughed a sad little laugh and shook his head slightly. Remus looked at him, wondering what had brought Peter to this moroseness.

"Sure, Peter. What did you want to talk about?" asked Remus, moving to sit next to Peter on the couch. Peter slouched back and swallowed noisily.

"Well, nothing really. I'm just worried about You-Know-Who and all."

"Peter, you have nothing to worry about, I promise. It's not like he's going to come crashing into our lives, right?" Remus said, putting a hand on Peter's pudgy shoulder.

"I guess not. But what happens if we do get dragged into this war? I'm not cut out for fighting! I'm more of a doughnuts and milk guy, Not the éclair and coffee guy like Sirius."

Remus laughed, "I have never heard it like that before. Where did you get that analogy?"

Peter blushed, "Off the back of a car."

Remus snickered and sat forward, "I wouldn't worry about it too much, Peter. I don't think anything will happen to you or to us. There is the possibility it could happen of course, but I don't think it will. You haven't been talking to any strange people, have you?"

"No! Of course not! Besides, why would they talk to me? I'm useless when it comes to war and spells and stuff."

"You're not useless, Peter. You just, eh, have a different kind of smarts. I mean, some have brain smarts, some have book smarts, and you just have something different. So do Sirius and James."

"What? Insanity smarts?" said Peter, laughing along with Remus.

"Probably. It would explain quite a bit, wouldn't it?"

"Yeah, thanks for talking to me Moony. It helped."

"You're welcome, Wormtail."

"I need to get home probably, mum isn't doing so well these days."

Remus nodded, "Sure, if you ever need to talk to someone, ring me up, alright?"

"Definitely."

/page break/

"So, she says to me…"

"I'm not sure we want to know what she said to you Prongs. It may not be child appropriate." said Remus, taking a sip of his Earl Grey tea.

"Who's a child here? I don't see any kids." said James. Remus pointed to Sirius.

"There's one right there." James and Peter burst out laughing, spraying their Butterbeer over the table.

Sirius pouted, "Aww, that was mean, Remmie."

Remus grinned and picked up a chip from the basket in front of him. It was times like these that Remus treasured the most. Sitting with his friends in the middle of a crowded Leaky Cauldron, sipping drinks and eating greasy foods that were sure to give you cardiac arrest.

A sudden hush fell over the tavern, a dark blanket of misery covered the patrons. The four boys turned in time to see a Ministry owl fly around the room, a Black Death Note in its beak.

Everyone held their breath as it descended. No one wanted to be the recipient of the next note. A Death Note was only received by the family members of victims of the war. The owl swooped down and dropped the Note into Remus's lap. He felt his stomach drop into his oxford shoes. James sighed and closed his eyes, clearly remembering when he received his own. Sirius reached across the table to grasp Remus's hand and Peter glared down at the table, blinking hard.

Remus slit the envelope open with trepidation, who would it be? Remus scanned the Note quickly and quietly.

"Who?" asked Sirius, tightening his grip. Remus sighed and looked up, blinking back tears to no avail.

"My father." started Remus.

"Well…"

Remus interrupted, "And my mother."

Silence descended over the table. Sirius gazed at Remus blankly, trying to comprehend, James laid his head on the table while squeezing his fists together. Peter stared at the worn wood horror splashed across his features.

"No…it can't be. Both of them? What….I mean…how?" Sirius stuttered, stumbling to a stop. The four sat in silence for a few moments, tears in their eyes. Remus stared at the ceiling, determined not to cry, at least not until they got back to the flat.

"Shit."

"Come on, let's go back to my house, okay?" said James, looking up from the table.

Remus nodded and pulled himself to his feet. Peter stood next to him and motioned to the floo. The four boys flooed to the Potter Manor in a matter of minutes. Josephine met them at the fire a smile on her face. The smile faded at the ragged looks the boys carried.

"What happened? What's wrong?" she asked. Remus handed her the message, before curling into Sirius's embrace. Josephine read it, agony swiping across her beautiful face.

"Oh Remus. Come here sweetie." Josephine pulled Remus into a hug, petting his slightly sooty hair down. James nodded towards the kitchen, mouthed the word 'tea' and waved his hand at Peter and Sirius. The three boys moved away, giving Remus a minute or two to have his meltdown, for Remus didn't like to express volatile emotions around others.

Remus curled his hands into the purple, crushed velvet, over robe Mrs. Potter wore, tears beginning to make the long journey down his cheeks. The lady of the house held him to her until all his tears were gone, murmuring comforting nonsense.

When, at last, Remus lifted his head from her shoulder, Josephine smiled and stood straighter.

"Let's go find those boys, hmm? Make sure they don't ruin my kitchen." Remus gave her a watery smile and followed Josephine to the kitchen. Sirius was leaning against the sink a cup of tea in hand and a pensive look on his face. James stood next to the stove, pouring two more cups of tea. Peter was sitting at the table, fiddling with one of the chocolate biscuits before him.

"Hey." mumbled Remus, moving to stand next to Sirius, taking the blue and white teacup offered to him. Sirius wrapped an arm around Remus's numbing body. It was getting increasing hard to stay standing, thought Remus, laying his head on Sirius's broad shoulder.

"Hey, you okay?"

"Not really, but I think I will be."

"Good." whispered Sirius, putting his chin on the top of Remus's head. James lay in his mother's arms, misery on his face. For James, it was almost like losing his father all over again. All the boys had met John and Helena Lupin at some point and they could not believe that two warm and loving people could be destroyed in such a small moment of time.

"Remus, honey? If you need anything, just let me know, okay?" said Josephine. She knew the pain of losing a loved one. Planning Harold's funeral had nearly done her in, but having to plan both of your parents' funerals? Remus would have a hard time in front of him, that was for sure.

"Thanks."

/page break/

The funeral was held on June twelfth, it was a bright and sunny day. The sun was shinning high in the sky and not a cloud was to be seen. It was almost as if the weather was cooperating, in memory of the two wonderful people who were being buried that afternoon.

The procession walked toward the gravesite, Remus and his Aunt Sophia in the lead. Sirius walked just behind Remus, a solid presence at his back. The Potters, Lily, Tory and Peter were just behind him, all in the deepest of blacks. It was funny, mused Remus, Lily went to the trouble of wearing the blackest black she could find and her hair still stood out like a sore thumb.

The burial passed quickly, Remus didn't remember half of it. All he knew was Sirius. Sirius, who sat next to him the entire time, who held his hand throughout, and who anchored him to the ground better than any eulogy.

Remus floated through the next few weeks, not even flinching when he lost his fourth job in a row. The full moon passed without a glance, Moony simply sat in a corner and whimpered. All Sirius could do was watch; watch Remus fall apart in front of him and not be able to do a thing to help. Remus would cry at night, usually in his sleep, and Sirius could only hold him tight and pray that they made it through this.

Lily, Josephine, and Tory all tried to help out as much as possible. Josephine made most of their meals, Lily brought Remus books of all types, and Tory did most of their laundry if she had time. Tory was also the one to sit with Remus while Sirius was at Auror training, as Lily was doing her own Healer training. Sirius owed Tory a lot, she basically took care of Remus when he couldn't, and she was actually a pretty cool neighbor.

It took two months for Remus to get back to normal, the small group was eternally grateful to whatever deity saw fit to give Remus back to them. As for Remus, he buried himself into books and his new job as a sales assistant in a muggle record shop. Time passed slowly, but wounds healed, and soon all was back to normal. Or, as normal as four male teenagers can get.

A/N: There you go! I made myself cry, how silly. Oh well, hope you enjoyed it. Feel free to make my day and review!


	10. Bliss

Disclaimer: Not mine. If it were mine you would know. Believe me, you would.

A/N: I don't understand why I do these. No one reads them. So…RED LIGHT. PICKLE. DOINK. STOP. GO. PIE. OH MY GOSH. Now, do I have your attention? If I do, great. If I don't, oh well. So, this chapter was way too much fun. I actually planned this wedding so be very proud of me.

Becoming Moony: Bliss

Remus looked down at the bow tie in disdain. He hated those things, they were the spawn of evil and Lily knew that. So why the hell did she pick these stupid things?! A regular tie he could have handled, but a bow tie? Not so much.

Remus picked up the bow tie using only his thumb and index finger, dangling it miserably. Why, oh why, did he have to wear it? Sirius didn't even have to wear a bow tie. He got to wear a rather dashing red and gold striped cravat like James. And what did he get? A damn bow tie.

"You know, Moony, it won't kill you." said Sirius. Remus plopped the offending item into Sirius's hand and glanced at it in disgust.

"Yeah, well. I still don't want to wear that stupid…thing! It's stupid and I won't do it." yelled Remus, crossing his arms and stomping his foot.

"Wow. Give Remus a bow tie and watch his maturity level fall. It's gonna be the newest and greatest show on the television." laughed Sirius, wrapping an arm around Remus's shoulders. Remus huffed and put his face into Sirius's shoulder.

"Why do you get to wear a pretty cravat and I have to wear the stupid bow tie?" whined Remus.

"Come on Remmie. You only have to wear it for a couple hours. What's the problem with bow ties anyways? You wore a long tie to school everyday!"

"Yeah, a long tie. I don't like bow ties. They're so…so…bow tie-ish." said Remus, shoving Sirius as he began to laugh.

"Wow. One little bow tie and Remus falls to the plebian level. Just put it on, Remmie, it won't be so bad."

"Fine." mumbled Remus and wrapped the offending tie around his neck.

/page break/

The ceremony was lovely and everyone agreed on its splendor. The lovely white roses contrasted sharply with the dark red silk and gold chiffon. The whole thing was gorgeous.

Lily was absolutely stunning in her dress. The white silk charmuese dripped down her body and pooled around her feet, dragging behind her as she walked. The form fitting ivory bodice sat upon her like a second skin. The rouging that pulled the eye downward ended in a diagonal with bunches of tiny rosettes and lilies. They lay flat against her right hip and waist and only added to the beauty of the dress. The square neckline accentuated her graceful neck and collarbone and drew you upwards. The long opaque sleeves fell along her upper arms and cut at the elbow, draping and falling down towards the floor she walked upon.

Her hairstyle was that of a beach bohemian; long and curly with one long braid running from the crown of her head to the end of her hair. Baby's breath littered the braid like a vine, creating a sort of tiara. The long cathedral veil that everyone tried to convince her mother out of dragged along the ground, the rhinestones glistening in the artificial light. Lily looked absolutely ethereal and James still couldn't stop staring.

"James, if you don't stop staring at me and look at the bloody camera so that we can leave I will smack you." snapped Lily; obviously not wanting to stand on the shoes she was wearing any longer.

"Alright. Alright." mumbled James, before turning to where the muggle photographer stood. The wedding party grinned at the man with less enthusiasm then there had been two hours ago.

Another hour and, what felt like, three hundred photos later they were done. The photographer, Joseph Mesan, packed his things up and removed himself from the wedding site. The ceremony was already going full force upstairs. The location, Tylney Hall, really was quite lovely for a wedding. It was also very expensive.

James and Mr. Richard Evans had nearly had a heart attack when they saw the full bill. Sirius had seen it as well and had only shrugged and said that it could have been worse. Remus saw it and agreed with James and Mr. Evans; the amount of money was absolutely ridiculous. Almost sixty thousand pounds for one wedding was insane. It wasn't even the wedding dress that had cost the most!

The surprising thing about the dress was that Lily hadn't picked it. Sirius had chosen the gorgeous gown that made Lily look like a princess. Her mother, Elizabeth, had chosen the veil and the shoes. The only thing that Lily had chosen by herself was the way her hair was done!

"Remus? You in there? Or have the photography flashes melted your brain?"

Remus grinned at the bride and wrapped an arm around her waist, "I'm here. Just thinking about how lovely you look."

"Aw, you're such a flatterer. Besides, you have to thank your boyfriend for the dress. It is quite lovely though. I don't even think I would have picked it off the rack if he hadn't seen it." said Lily

"Sirius is good like that. Every once in a while he has a great idea." Remus said, starting to walk Lily towards the door. Lily laughed.

"Yeah, the dress is great. If only I could have convinced my mother that this veil was a bad idea."

"Why did she want such a long veil anyways?" asked Remus, shaking his hand slightly to get rid of aforementioned veil.

"She decided that since she didn't have one at all and Petunia had a shorter one I needed to wear the insanely long one. Stupid really, but I figured she would let me do the flowers the way I wanted if I gave her the veil."

"Did she?" Lily snorted into her hand.

"No. I picked out some lovely pink calla lilies and violets. She said that pink and purple was not going to go with a red and gold wedding. I didn't even want a red and gold wedding. James did. Stupid Gryffindoric tendencies."

Remus laughed, "That does sound like James. What did you want?"

"Purple and gold. A lilac with a dark, rich, gold. Royalty colors, you know?"

"That would have been lovely."

"I_ know_! That's what I said, but did anyone listen? No. And those stupid bow ties!"

"Wait. You weren't behind the bow ties?"

"Good Lord, no. I hate the stupid things, items of hell they are. I wanted ties, long ones. Of course, I wanted a beach wedding in Italy too." Lily said, throwing a hand in the air and flinging her hair back. Remus smiled at her, now he had to forgive her for making him wear the dratted bow tie. But if she wasn't responsible, then who was?

"Father. He loves bow ties. He would wear them twenty-four seven if he could. Mother dislikes them as well, she picked out the cravats."

"Those were rather nice."

"They were, weren't they? I rather thought so. I asked why all the boys weren't to wear them and my father about had a heart attack, stating that the only good neck item was a bow tie! The man is bloody ridiculous sometimes."

"They make me feel like a penguin or a maitre de of some sort." mumbled Remus, just as they walked by Mr. Evans.

"Don't they though? Don't worry, wear it through the speeches and then rip it off, I could care less."

"Don't mind if I do." They both laughed.

/page break/

"Excuse me? Can I have your attention please? Hello?" called Mr. Evans, trying to gain the wedding guests attention. They were all seated at the head table and were ready to start the speeches.

"Here, let me Richard." said Mrs. Potter, standing up. She put two fingers to her mouth and whistled, loudly. There was instant silence. Mr. Evans stared at the usually dignified woman in awe. Elizabeth Evans laughed into her napkin.

"Ah, thank you, Josephina. If I could have everyone's attention, we're about to start with the speeches. Let see. First up is the traditional best man speech so let's hear it for Sirius Black." There was a smattering of applause from the Evans' side and loud whooping from the rest. Sirius stood with a grin and waved a hand for silence.

"Thank you Mr. Evans. Um, lets see here. I know I had one written down but, oh well. Don't look at me like that Lily, I know what I'm doing." Lily had indeed turned and stared at Sirius in undisguised horror. Sirius made a dismissing motion at her and stood up straight.

"My main job tonight, besides getting James here on time, is to introduce the groom to you wonderful people, telling tales about his crazy adventures as a young man, the marathon pub crawling and his string of meaningless courtships. I should then regale you of the marvelous influence of the beautiful bride on our young hero, as she struggled to tame a man with an approach to life that combined ape-like urges with joyous abandon. Of course, I can't cover everything, so I'll just stick with the joyous abandon." Sirius started, with many laughs from the guests and a flushed face from James.

"I first met James on the Hogwarts Express. I was young and impressionable, how was I supposed to know that the bespectled git beside me would lead me down a path of crime and mischief?" there were many snorts and guffaws to this. The idea that Sirius Black had ever been impressionable was improbable. Remus shook his head in amused disgust. What a ham.

"James stuck through all the bruises and hexes, the laughter and the drunken tears and managed to convince the fiery red-head that he had fallen in love with to marry him. Personally, I'm wondering how many favors he promised her. All I know is that I hope they manage to keep the love they share strong, even if it involves tequila and manacles. Good luck to my all but blood brother and my new little sister." Sirius finished, raising his glass to the couple. Everyone in attendance followed in unison with a holler of "Cheers!"

Lily wiped away the few tears that made it down her face and stood to hug Sirius. "Thank you for your wonderful best-manning, Sirius and feel free to have some eggs with that ham any time."

Remus laughed along with the other guests. Things would be okay, even if there was a war going on and they might not live to see the next millennia.

/page break/

Remus collapsed onto the couch with a groan. It was so good to be rid of that infernal bow tie and the dressy shoes. Sure, he loved a great sweater vest but really, the shoes and tie were murder on one's body.

"Glad to be home?" asked Sirius, leaning against the back of the couch, pulling irritably at the cravat at his neck.

"You bet. I'm so full, I don't even want to look at food for the next forty-eight hours." mumbled Remus, pulling a pillow over his head.

"So, you_ don't_ want the extra slice of chocolate cake Lily sent home with me?"

"What cake? You didn't tell me there was cake? Especially that chocolate groom's cake. Where is the fucking cake, Padfoot?" yelled Remus, pulling Sirius down to him by the silly cravat. Sirius laughed and pointed toward the kitchen. Remus shot to his feet and went in search of the elusive chocolate cake.

"Did you hear James and Lily's father talking about the cost of the rings? Lily had both her engagement and wedding ring on today. James said that both rings together had cost five thousand five hundred pounds? That's silly. And James's ring was only nine hundred and forty pounds, how crazy is that? I guess that's what you get for getting platinum with point ninety one carat diamonds in it."

"Mmm hmm." mumbled Remus, fingers delicately digging into the hunk of cake. Sirius watched him, amusement evident in the raised eyebrow and smirk that crept across his face.

"You don't even care do you?"

"Uh, no, not really." said Remus, looking at the cake and mentally reviewing the contents of the fridge. Sirius pulled the jacket and cravat off, placing them on the table, and starting to unbutton the white starched shirt he wore.

Remus walked over to the fridge and pulled out the can of whipped cream hidden at the back. He picked up the plate that held the delicious dark chocolate and cream morsel on it and walked over to where Sirius stood, considered the three items carefully, and made an executive decision. With great focus and determination he picked up a piece of the soft cake and smeared it across the hard chest in front of him. Sirius started as Remus then put a glob of whipped cream on top of it.

"What are you doing?!" said Sirius, quite convinced that Remus had lost his marbles.

Remus bent his head to the mess and glanced up at Sirius, "Tastes better this way."

Sirius threw his head back and laughed.

A/N: Tada! Go me! And now a message from my lovely beta.

Hey people. This is Michelle's _fabulous _(ha! Hear the sarcasm there) beta, Vikertee. She apologizes profusely for the time it took to get this chapter updated. It is entirely her fault. She would like to blame it on her silly friend who leant her all 18 volumes of Fruits Basket over the last two weeks. See, she's had Michelle asking her to read the chapter for well over a week, but she's been reading one or two books a night. Then she's re-read them. Then she's done homework. And she's hardly had enough time to check her emails, let alone give the time necessary to get this right. And how many of you have heard that excuse in reviews from her recently.

So she apologizes for the wait. And she also apologizes for talking in the third person. She just wanted to imagine your faces when you try work it out. Yep, she is insane. It can't be helped.

And finally, she wants to beg for reviews. Because everyone loves them, and Michelle puts a hell of a lot of work into her chapters. Seriously, you should have seen all the pictures she's been sending me over the last couple of weeks in an attempt to a) cheer me up and b) make me work faster. So please review for her. And yeah, I noticed that went back to first person. Sorry. Hope you aren't too confused by my random babble.


	11. Suspicion Comes In Small Packages

Disclaimer: Not mine. Get me it for the holidays and I will love you forever!

A/N: There is no author note this time, except to thank my ever-wonderful beta Victoria.

Becoming Moony: Suspicion Comes (In Small Packages)

Up and down. Up and down. Up and down. Remus watched with drooping eyelids as the "men" of the small family marched up and down the hallway. He looked next to him at Peter, who shrugged and went back to his magazine. Remus sighed and dropped his head backwards. An elegant hand dragged his bangs back from his forehead. Remus opened his eyes and looked into Josephina's kind blue eyes. The woman smiled at him and called for her son.

"James, dear, do stop pacing. You're making poor Remus dizzy." Remus grinned at her and glanced over to where James had paused. The rumpled man stopped momentarily, ran both hands through his already disheveled hair, and started pacing again. Up and down. Up and down.

James Potter, Sirius Black, and Richard Evans crowded the small hallway going up and down. Up and down. They would each start on opposite ends of the hallway, meet in the middle, turn, and march back the way they came. It was all rather disorienting and Remus was beginning to get nauseated. If they didn't stop pacing soon, Remus would hurl. And as the full moon had been only yesterday, hurling was a very likely option at this point. The transformations had begun to get very strange. His vision would go fuzzy; there would be an extreme ache in his bones and then, nothing. Absolutely nothing. Just a large blank space that would disappear hours later when he woke up. It was rather confusing, if not a little frightening.

"Sirius. Sit down, you won't do anyone any good if you wear yourself out." cajoled Josephina, trying to get someone to stop pacing. Sirius glanced at her, shook his head, and turned.

"I give up." she whispered.

"Probably a good idea." said Remus, closing his eyes. Josephina hummed in response and went back to petting his hair.

There was a sudden clatter as the door across from where they sat, opened. Out came a doctor and a rather plump nurse. The doctor looked at the three men pacing and then at the three people sitting calmly. He shook his head and motioned to James.

"It's a boy."

Remus laughed as James went from pale, to red, to purple, back to red, went past pale and jumped straight to translucent. Sirius was slightly calmer in his colors only going from white to pink. Mr. Evans was about the same as James, only not as vibrant in his coloring.

"Huh? I mean…wah….eh…right…" James stuttered, moving robotically towards the door. The doctor moved aside to allow him into the room. Mr. Evans following James immediately. The rest were content to sit outside and let them have their moment. After Elizabeth's death of cancer earlier that month, Mr. Evans hadn't been quite the same. To see him so lively was warming.

"I can't wait. I can't wait. When can I see him?" said Sirius, bouncing up and down. Up and down. Remus was seriously considering being ill if all the erratic movement didn't stop.

"Sirius. You will get your chance, now sit down or we'll go home." snapped Remus, prompting everyone to stare at him in shock.

"You okay, Remmie?"

"No. I feel like I'm going to be sick and you bouncing up and down is not helping."

Sirius frowned and sat next to Remus, "What's up?"

"I don't really know. Just stop moving for a while, alright?" asked Remus, laying his head on Sirius's shoulder.

"Okay." Sirius wrapped his arm around Remus's shoulders and waited.

/page break/

"Look at him. He's so tiny. The little fingers. Aw, you're too cute. Yes, you are." Sirius cooed at the tiny baby in his arms. Remus shook his head slowly; who knew that stud-muffin Sirius Black would be a baby person.

"Look at him, Remmie. He's so adorable. Lily, you can't have him back. He's mine now." stated Sirius, stepping further away from the hospital bed. Lily laughed tiredly and lay back against the pillows.

"Sure, you can have him half the time and we'll take him the rest. You can have all the crying and dirty nappies. We'll take the cute part."

"Hey, that's not fair. I'm the godfather. I get the cute parts, it's in the Godfather's Unanimous Code of Conduct and Regulations Handbook." Sirius said with purpose and sat down in the nearest chair. He curled little Harry in closer to him and cooed at him again. Sirius moved the blue cotton blanket a bit and played with the little fingers that stuck out of it. The tiny hand gripped one large finger delicately. A whoosh of air left Sirius's lungs as he stared at the diminutive creature that held him hostage.

The look of pure adoration on Sirius's face made everyone smile. Harry may not have come at the most opportune time, but he was making sure no one forgot how cute he was, one finger at a time.

"Okay Sirius, let someone else hold him for a while." said James, trying to take his son from the rather stubborn man.

"No. I'm not done yet."

"Sirius."

"I don't want to. And you can't make me."

"You would think that Sirius was the little one." mumbled Josephina to Richard Evans. He laughed and nodded in agreement.

"Come on, Sirius. You can have him back after everyone else has held him, okay?" James finally persuaded Sirius to give up the baby to someone else. Remus.

As Remus held the bundle of baby, he wondered how such a little guy could hold everyone under his thumb. Harry would soon develop his own personality and Remus wasn't sure how that was possible. For something so small, growing into himself was a miracle. The tiny body curled closer and whimpered. He quieted down and wrapped a miniature hand into the navy blue cashmere sweater Sirius had bought him for Christmas. A chorus of 'awes' came from around the room and made Remus smile. A baby was wonderful, they couldn't be racist and they didn't have any prejudices, they just were. This small creature didn't care that Remus was a werewolf, that he had next to no money, and that he wasn't the most handsome of people. Harry just cared that Remus had a warm body, a strong heartbeat, and would hold him till Remus's arms gave out.

"You can't have him back, Prongs. He's mine now." whispered Remus, still staring at the little body in his arms. Laughter erupted from the small hospital room. Sirius gave a whoop and started to do a little jig.

"That baby is going to have everyone so wrapped around his fist that he will get away with everything. And then some." said Lily, putting her arms across her chest. James smiled and put his arm around her, kissing her forehead.

"That's okay, for now at least."

/page break/

"'Mus! 'Mus!" called the nine-month-old Harry Potter. Remus smiled and bent down to pick the infant up. The baby squirmed slightly and placed his head on the shoulder in front of him. His hands went to Remus's collar and his feet were placed into the ribs. Remus shifted the baby so that the offending feet were not pressed into him.

"How are you today, Harry?"

"Nyah!" yelled Harry, swinging his arms around in the air and gesturing wildly.

"That good, huh? Has Uncle Sirius been teaching you how to speak?"

"'Mus!" called Harry, leaning onto Remus and opening his eyes wide.

Remus laughed, Harry was far too cute for his own good sometimes. Watching Harry was like taking a large bite out of a block of sugar.

"Hey, Remus! Thanks for watching Harry. I know you probably have better things to do." said Lily, stepping into the front room.

"That's silly, Lily. You know I love babysitting him." said Remus over Harry's cry of "Ma!" Lily reached forward and took Harry, balancing him on her hip.

"You be good for Uncle Remus, okay?"

"'Mus! 'Mus! 'Mus! Pa'foo?" Lily and Remus laughed. Harry was probably wondering where Sirius was, because usually if you had Remus, you had Sirius.

"Not today, Harry. Padfoot had to work." said Remus, knowing that Harry probably didn't understand.

"Wor-t? Wha tha?"

"Work is something that your mummy needs to do." stated Lily, handing Harry back to Remus. "You know how to reach me?"

"Yes. Now go on, we'll be fine." said Remus, showing her the piece of paper that was firmly lodged in his back pocket. The piece of paper that allowed all Order of the Phoenix members to talk to each other at once.

"Fine!" called Harry, wiggling to be let down. Lily left and the two boys were on their own.

"So what are we going to do today?" asked Remus, plopping Harry down onto his blankets. Harry looked around at the millions of multi-colored toys, plushies, and other assorted playthings, and then glanced up at Remus.

"Bowed"

"You're_ bored_! How can you possibly be bored? You only have the three trillion toys your stupid father and godfather bought for you!"

Harry giggled and reached out a hand, "Bootk."

"What? A boot?" asked Remus, not comprehending. Harry frowned and stretched his hand out further.

"Bootk!"

Remus glanced to where Harry pointing and saw only shelves. Shelves that were _covered in books_. Books!

"A book? You want to read a book?"

Harry giggled once more and bounced up and down, "Bootk!"

"I see. You want to read a book. Well, at least you are getting some culture." mumbled Remus, sitting next to Harry. He picked up one of Harry's books and flipped through it a minute. He showed it to Harry, who nodded enthusiastically. Remus sat back against the couch and pulled Harry to him.

"Paf!" called Harry. Remus smiled and gave Harry the black Labrador plush. Paf was its name, a shortened version of Padfoot, or so everyone assumed. The thing did look remarkably like Padfoot.

"Moon!" Harry squealed as Remus handed him the small timbre wolf that went with Paf. Harry tucked each animal under each arm and leaned against Remus. Remus smiled and began to read.

/page break/

James and Sirius laughed as they looked upon the living room, or what used to be the living room. It looked as though a small tornado had blown through and scattered things everywhere. Baby toys were strewn across the carpet, books were half open and lying on the floor and the coffee table, and Harry's blankets were crumpled and tossed about.

Remus lay on the couch, sweater off, shirt untucked, and one arm thrown above his head. Harry lay on his chest, crunched up with a thumb in his mouth. Remus's right hand was on his back and both had dark circles around their eyes and mussed up hair. They had apparently passed out after an afternoon of fun and merriment.

"Aw, poor Remus, worn out by an infant. How sad." joked James, leaning down to pick up some of the toys. Sirius reached across and picked Paf and Moon up off the floor, placing them on either side of Remus and Harry.

"Might as well let them sleep, yeah?" asked Sirius, helping James to pick up the toys. James nodded. The two quickly got the mess cleaned up before Lily got home.

"I'm home!" called Lily. James went to greet her. Sirius moved over to the sleepy heads and brushed Remus's bangs back from his eyes. The tired golden eyes opened slowly. Sirius grinned as Remus glanced down at the baby on his chest.

"He still asleep?"

"Yeah."

"Mm-Kay" Remus laid his head back on the pillow and closed his eyes once more.

"Lily and James are home."

"Well, until they get their son off of me I can't move, can I?" Sirius laughed and gently moved the sleeping child off of Remus. Harry snuffled and opened a bleary eye.

"Pa'foo!" mumbled Harry, rubbing at an eye. Sirius held Harry to him, telling him to go back to sleep. Harry closed his eyes and laid his head on Sirius's shoulder.

Remus sat up and stood to go talk to Lily. She needed to know that he thought that Harry might have the beginnings of a fever. He hoped not, sick babies were awful.

Sirius went to give Harry to James, who promptly went all "gooey" as Sirius called it. Sometimes James was just a little too pathetic around his son, sure love was great, but coddling was too much. Sirius was a firm believer in raising a kid right, but was resolutely against any form of coddling. Unless they were sick and then the poor kid needed a good coddle. All in all, it was a very hypocritical view.

/page break/

Remus coughed and fell back against his pillows. He felt horrible. He had only felt this bad the one time he had gotten the flu. Remus prayed to all deities that he did not have influenza. Sirius was at work and so Remus had nothing to distract him from the impending doom of illness. He couldn't even read properly, his vision was too fuzzy. He could barely move and it hurt to think. He really needed something to do, but what?

Two hours later Remus decided that sleep was the best solution. Sleep wouldn't let him concentrate on the illness and he didn't have to worry about how far the war had progressed in the last few months.

Remus was a proud member of the Order of the Phoenix, but there was only so much that the group could do. They could fight the Death Eaters all they wanted but they still couldn't predict where Voldemort was going to strike next. It was disheartening to say the very least.

The news that there was a traitor in their midst was terrifying and had made many paranoid. Even the infallible Marauders had been affected by the news. James, worried about Harry, had quit his job and stayed with his son most of the time. He didn't have very much help either. Lily was working as a Healer, Sirius was still training for the Auror program, Death Eaters had killed his mother a month earlier, and Remus…well Remus didn't see Harry much anymore. Remus didn't know why either. What had he done? James almost made excuses not to see Remus anymore. He didn't come to full moons, he skipped Remus's twenty-first birthday celebration, and never asked Remus to help baby-sit.

Sirius still saw them once in a while but not enough to count. It was still more than Remus saw them. Peter had all but disappeared from their lives, but it was understandable, his mother was not in good shape and he had three younger sisters and a younger brother to take care of. Peter was only seen at Order meetings and sometimes he stopped in at the bookstore where Remus worked, just to say hello and get the latest gossip.

The latest Order meeting had been very uncomfortable for Remus. People would stare and whisper behind his back and would glance away quickly if he looked at them. Alastor Moody was constantly popping up from behind doors and walls, never saying anything, just _looking_. Dumbledore and McGonagall were about the only people who still seemed to want to talk to him. Molly Weasley, nee Prewitt, was rather nice as well, always asking after his health and baking him chocolate chip muffins. She stated quite firmly that he never ate enough and that if he would only stop by the Burrow she could remedy that.

Remus, it a state of almost asleep, heard the front door open and footsteps sounding across the floor.

"Sirius?" he called, sitting up. Sirius appeared in the doorway, came over, kissed Remus's forehead, and walked back out the door, saying that he was meeting James, Peter, and Fabian Prewitt down at the Leaky Cauldron. Remus stared at the door, stunned, his stomach filling with dread. He knew what this was. They all thought that _he _was the traitor. James, who didn't want him around Harry. Lily, who was always busy. Moody, the paranoid Auror. And Sirius, who didn't seem to want to touch him anymore.

"Sirius!" came Remus's choked cry. He was up and out of the bed, down the hall, and wrapping his arms around Sirius's shocked form in under twenty seconds.

"What's the matter?" asked Sirius, a picture of nonchalance.

"I know what you're thinking. You're thinking that I'm the traitor. I'm not! Sirius, I swear to you, I'm not! Please, you have to believe me! I would never do something to hurt Harry. You know that." Remus pleaded, tears streaming down his face. He buried his face into Sirius's warm and soft leather jacket, which still smelt of motorcycle oil and nature.

"Remmie." Sirius's voice was hoarse and low. Remus looked up into the face that he loved so much, begging with his eyes to believe what he said.

"I…" Sirius sighed, "I know you would never intentionally hurt anyone, really. I just think that maybe they could have offered you something better and that you may have…"

Remus stared in astonishment, "You think that I would sell out the only family I have left for some overgrown toddler whose mother, clearly, didn't teach him the difference between right and wrong?!"

Sirius shrugged, clearly uncomfortable, "No, I just thought that maybe they had offered you something that….I couldn't."

"What do you mean?" asked Remus, tightening his arms around Sirius's waist.

"I don't know. A better life style, a change in legislature, a cure! I don't know what I was thinking. Everybody has me turned all around I don't know what to do anymore." said Sirius, putting his arms around Remus at last.

"Sirius, hear me now. I don't want anyone but you. They could offer me a million galleons, a cure, and a library devoted to me, but I would still only want you."

"Yeah, I knew that. I just didn't want to think that you were the one who was…." Sirius shook his head. Remus smiled and placed his head on Sirius's broad chest.

"I won't deny that I would love the library, though." Sirius laughed and pulled Remus closer. Remus coughed in response, his sickness coming back full force.

"You okay?"

"I think I've got the flu again. I hate the flu."

"Poor little Remmie. Don't worry, I'll take care of you." said Sirius, swinging Remus up into his arms and walking back toward the bedroom.

"I thought you were meeting…?"

"They'll get over it. You're more important."

Sirius stayed with Remus the whole night. Making sure that he was happy and didn't need anything. In the days that followed, they stayed together and everything was okay. The lingering doubt was there, but it wasn't as strong. Both thought that maybe they would all get through this okay.

A/N: Well here it is. Whoopee!


	12. Fateful

Disclaimer: I don't freaking own anything.

Author's Note: Do any of you out there hate your job? I do. Here's the next chapter!

Becoming Moony: Fateful

Remus stared at the wall, disbelief evident in his every movement. He couldn't believe it. He wouldn't believe it! They couldn't be gone! Not all of them! They were all he had left!

When Dumbledore had shown up at his doorstep that morning, just before the morning post had arrived, Remus had known something was wrong. The way the man carried himself, and the fact that the annoying twinkle was gone, alluded to the fact that something was very, very wrong. And it was, it was the worst thing that could have ever happened to anyone. His family was gone, every single one of them. His parents, James, Lily, Peter, and_ Sirius_, they were all gone. His parents were dead, the Potters were dead, Peter was dead, and Sirius, Sirius was in Azkaban. Poor little Harry was alive, but it wasn't like the Ministry would allow Werewolf AFU974635 raise a child. Especially not the newly branded Boy-Who-Lived.

What a stupid title, thought Remus, it was lacking in imagination and the poor thing was only one. A one-year-old child didn't need to be the fucking savior of the world! Voldemort was gone so why did anyone need a hero? It wasn't like no one else hadn't been trying to get rid of the bastard, the Order did more than anyone could say! Why did the Minister feel the need to bestow such a title on an_ infant_ who wouldn't remember anything anyways?!

Poor little Harry, off to live with wizard hating muggles. It didn't take a rocket scientist to know that Petunia and Vernon Dursley hated everything that wasn't Dursley-ish. And it didn't take a PhD to realize that Harry Potter, all things wizard, would not be welcome in that household.

Remus shook himself out of his mental stupor and stood. A cup of tea would make him feel more like himself. Remus wandered into the kitchen and put the kettle on to boil. He reached up into the cabinet and pulled down a mug. He glanced at it with one eye and flinched when he realized that it was the mug that Lily had given to Sirius for Christmas. The one that read "Bad Dog!", it nearly broke Remus's heart all over again, thinking of Padfoot in a place like Azkaban.

He remembered quite vividly the evening before.

FLASHBACK

_"Hey, Remmie?" _

_"Hmm?" mumbled Remus against Sirius's chest. Sirius curled his arms tighter around the man in his arms and sighed._

_"You love me right?" _

_"Of course. Why would you think otherwise?" _

_"I don't know. I just felt like asking. You would never leave me right?" _

_Remus pushed himself up onto his arms and looked at Sirius oddly. "Sirius, why are you asking me that?" _

_"I…don't worry about it. I love you. Always remember that, okay? No matter what happens or where I go, I'll always love you." _

_"Forever?" _

_"Yeah, forever." declared Sirius, smiling._

_Remus raised his hand and put out his pinky finger, "Promise?" _

_Sirius put his own pinky around Remus's, "Promise." _

FLASHBACK END

Four hours later Sirius had left. He had claimed to be going to check on Peter, who was the most vulnerable of the lot with his mother and all the siblings. He hadn't come back. Remus had sat up all night, wondering and waiting, He had realized that, with Dumbledore's arrival, Sirius would never be back.

The morning paper had delivered the next blow to the already wounded werewolf. As he read what had happened to the Potters, to Peter, and what Sirius had done, he knew that he was truly alone.

On the upside, thought Remus sarcastically, the Order trusts me now. Remus sat on the horrible and tacky red velvet couch, the one Sirius had insisted upon, and cried. He cried for his friends, he cried for his family, he cried for the little boy who would never know his parents, and most of all he cried for himself.

He didn't know what the future would bring, but he knew that it didn't bode well for a twenty-one-year old werewolf in London.

/page break/

Remus wandered between the gravestones, a thoughtful look on his face. This wasn't what they would have wanted. They wouldn't have wanted such a huge funeral. Over two hundred people were in attendance. They were all there to gawk at the martyrs of the Wizarding world and to, hopefully, catch a glimpse of the savior.

Remus stumbled upon Petunia, two little boys with her. One, a very chubby and rather ugly one, was in her arms. The other, Harry, was in a pushchair, starting to whimper at the bumps in the terrain.

"Excuse me, Petunia? Would you like for me to take Harry?" asked Remus, desperate for any contact with the life he had before. Petunia looked at Remus, down at the pushchair, up again, and nodded. Remus bent down in front of Harry.

"Hey, puppy."

"'Mus!" Harry cried, reaching out to Remus. Remus gently pulled Harry out of the chair and held him tight.

"You okay?" asked Remus, starting to walk toward the funeral procession. Harry didn't answer, but laid his head on Remus's shoulder. It appeared that Harry knew that his parents weren't coming back, because he didn't ask for them. It had only been a week, but Harry knew. Remus didn't know how, but Harry knew.

They watched the funeral in silence. It wasn't as lovely as James and Lily's wedding, not by a long shot. First off, there were daffodils, Lily hated daffodils. Then there were the gardenias. James was allergic to them and Lily hated those as well. Remus would have picked the most vibrant irises and the loveliest stargazer lilies he could have found. Lily's favorite flower and James's favorite "in memorandum" flower. The huge white caskets were separate, they would have wanted to be together.

Remus was not satisfied with his family's final send off. He knew that Lily would have hated it. James would have too, simply because Lily hated it. He hoped that Harry would never remember or have to see the horrendous funeral that had been planned for them.

The weather wasn't even that great, it was cold and windy. Not a good weather for children to be out in. Harry was shivering up a storm, even in the jumper he was wearing. Remus wrapped Harry in his own coat, pulling Harry closer for more warmth. It was also an effective shield from the paparazzi that flocked the cemetery.

"'Mus?"

"Yes, Harry?"

"Where's Pa'foo?" Harry's question hit a nerve. Remus couldn't blame the baby though, he didn't know that Sirius was the reason his parents wouldn't be around to see him grow up.

"He's not here, cub."

"Where's Pa'foo?" asked Harry in a slightly hysterical voice. Remus sighed and cuddled Harry closer to him.

"He's gone away for a while, okay?"

"No. No 'kay." said Harry, his eyes misting up. Remus sighed, and rose from his seat. He sensed a full-fledged Harry tantrum coming on. It was better for people to not see the poor baby like that, it might ruin his reputation.

/page break/

Remus managed to get Harry calmed down and back to their seats just before the final farewells were said. Remus carried a sniffling Harry up to his parents closed caskets. It was the one thing Remus had been able to influence. He knew that James wouldn't have wanted anyone staring at their dead bodies. That was just nasty, his brother in all but blood had once said.

He gave Harry two of the white calla lilies that had been supplied and walked forward to stand between the caskets. One was covered in a white silk and lace shawl, Remus recalled Lily wearing it several times. The other was covered in James's Gryffindor Quidditch robe. Remus leant Harry down slightly, so that Harry could reach the body boxes.

Harry patted Lily's coffin, placed one of the flowers down at Remus's nod, and whispered, "Bye, ma."

Remus teared up once again as Harry placed the other flower on top of the robe, patted it, and whispered, "Bye, da."

Remus put his own flowers, a stargazer lily and a vibrant purple iris, down on the coffins and turned away. He couldn't bear to be there any longer. It was too painful to be there. To see the physical evidence of his lover's betrayal and the death of his siblings was too much. He didn't want to give Harry back to his aunt, he knew that his cub would never be accepted there. However, Remus also knew that Dumbledore would take Harry back as soon as he found out.

Remus gave Harry back to Petunia and left in tears. The cries of "'Mus! 'Mus!" followed him the entire way, getting more and more hysterical with every step away.

/page break/

**Attention Werewolf AFU974635, **

**It has come to our attention that you are currently residing in the residence owned by one Sirius A. Black. As a part of the Werewolf Registry code 187, part 4 B, you are hereby in contempt of Code 75 and will be arrested and terminated if you fail to comply. You will be given one week to find a new place of residence and to remove yourself from your current location. **

**The newly placed Code 184 permits that if you are unable to find a new place of residence, the Ministry of Magic will assist you with a temporary living location within the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. In accordance to Code 287, you are allowed only 20,000 galleons worth of materials, please direct all other material things to the Werewolf Registry. Sirius A. Black's possessions will be picked up by the Ministry and returned to the family on November 15 at 8:00 am. Please have Sirius A. Black's possessions ready to transport at this time. **

**Hope that you are well,**

**Syneva Czerniak **

**Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures **

**Werewolf Registry Unit**

Remus stared around the empty flat. He watched the Ministry buffoons picking up boxes and piling them into the floo. He couldn't believe this was happening to him. First his parents, then his friends and lover, and now his home. He had done as the Registry had said, knowing that Dumbledore wouldn't even be able to save him. He was living in the ghetto now, a place where he was frightened to be in. Hell, the place got shot up every night and drug busts happened next door without any warning. The heating was faulty and water was brown. It was all he could afford. He had taken his meager allowance of possessions there three days ago, he was only brought back to turn the keys, and Sirius's things, over to the Ministry.

He had managed to sneak away several of Sirius's treasures; his leather jacket, a few of his records, a picture of all the Marauders and Harry in a gold frame, and Sirius's promise ring. The promise ring they had bought together two months after Lily and James got married.

"That's it?" asked one of the Ministry men. Remus nodded.

"That's it."

"Alright, if you just give us the keys and sign this form we can all be on our way." the man said, shoving a piece of parchment at Remus, clearly not wanting to be too close.

"What is this?" asked Remus. A rather brusque man answered.

"That, AFU974635, is a release form. It gives the property back to the leaser."

"My name is Remus." growled Remus, hating to be addressed as a serial code.

The guy shrugged, "Whatever. Just sign the damn thing. I want to get home soon."

Remus sighed and signed the parchment. It wasn't like there was anything he could do about it.

Remus returned home dejected. It was a terrible time. Sure, Voldemort was gone, the Death Eaters in hiding, but he had nothing left. His family, his friends, his home, and most of his possessions were now owned by somebody else. He only hoped that it wouldn't get any worse.

A/N: Aww, damn. I made myself cry! Hope I didn't ruin anybody's makeup.


	13. Persuasion

Disclaimer: Not mine. Leave it at that.

Becoming Moony: Persuasion

Remus sat in the booth, misery on his face. Things could not possibly get any worse than they were now. He had been evicted from his twentieth apartment only yesterday, he had no money, and he had lost what he had seemed like his billionth job. He had actually like the previous job. He had worked as a mentor to younger children who were a bit like him. They didn't have money, or many possessions, and most had no friends. He helped the kids get the companionship they needed while helping them to learn.

This job had been one of the more enjoyable he had worked, but with the newest werewolf code put into place he couldn't get a job that included being alone with children for long periods of time. At least, not with the employer being ignorant to the fact that Remus was a lycanthrope and having Ministry approval. Only four hours after the code had passed the Ministry had burst into the room he was working in. The poor little boy Remus was talking with was frightened nearly to death. Remus had only worked with muggles and having five fully grown wizards bursting into the room was bound to be startling to anybody, much less a seven year old little boy.

Now he was sitting in the Leaky Cauldron, waiting for Albus Dumbledore to come and talk to him. Why Dumbledore wanted to speak to him was beyond Remus. He couldn't imagine why the Headmaster of a school would want to talk to an unemployed, homeless werewolf who couldn't work with children.

"Remus."

Remus turned to see his esteemed headmaster standing behind him, wearing robes of mauve and baby blue. It was an odd combination, but for some reason, looked okay on the odd professor.

"Headmaster Dumbledore." Remus replied, standing to greet the man.

"No need for the formalities, my dear child. What has society done to you?" said Dumbledore, shaking his head and putting his hand on Remus's shoulder. Remus shrugged and looked to the table, there were some really interesting grain patterns there. He couldn't believe that his old headmaster could possibly care that much about an old student.

"Shall we sit? This old body can't much take standing for long anymore."

"You're not old, Professor."

"You always were too kind," laughed Dumbledore. Remus grinned slightly and sat back in his seat.

"So, Remus, how have you been? I understand that there have been a few more…advances in the particular department you're involved in."

"I'm well enough. Thank you for the discretion. Things have not been so wonderful now that a lot of people know what I am. It has made finding a new job interesting. No one wants to hire a werewolf in the wizarding world and it's near impossible to get a decent job in the muggle world." Remus found himself pouring his entire life story into Dumbledore's ears. The man let Remus speak, not saying anything until he was finished.

"I am so sorry. I wish there was something I could do for you."

"That's alright, Professor. Nobody can do much for me anymore."

"Although," started Dumbledore, a smirk on his face and a twinkle in his eye, "Maybe there is something I can do for you."

Remus raised his head up and stared in shock, "What?"

"You see, Remus, Hogwarts is currently in need of a Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. I haven't been able to find one that is, let us say, capable of the job. I think you would be rather good at it."

"I wish I could, but I can't. The new code placed prohibits it."

"It states that you cannot work with children without the employer knowing about your werewolf status and without Ministry approval. I assure you, I can get the necessary approval. I am a member of the Wizengamot, you know."

"Are you sure? I mean, am I really worth all the trouble your going to be put through?"

"Remus! I will thank you to not belittle yourself in my presence." Dumbledore stated, looking over his glasses at Remus. Remus nodded and looked at the professor. What he was offering was a dream. To go and teach at the very institute that he had been admitted to beyond all odds was amazing. But…was it truly worth it?

"I don't think I can do this professor. I don't want the school's reputation to go downhill just because of me. I also don't want this to be charity. I'm sorry, Professor, but until you can definitely get this done without making it into a charity event, I won't do it."

"I…understand, Remus. I do understand your feelings and respect them. I do, however, feel that you would be the best for the job. Would it be permissible for me to owl you if there is any change in the situation?" asked Dumbledore, as he placed his fingers together.

Remus nodded and stood. There was nothing else to say. He left, feeling slightly betrayed by his old headmaster. Remus knew that the man didn't mean to make it sound as a charity option or as a pity job, but it didn't change the fact that Dumbledore wouldn't be offering the job to a person who had no qualifications as a professor if said person wasn't an old student that needed help!

He knew that if Dumbledore offered the job again, Remus would have to work harder to say no. It would still be a fifty-fifty shot with the Ministry. Remus did want the job, Goddess knew he did, but there was no escaping the fact that he wasn't qualified for it. Sure, he loved kids, he did tons of tutoring, and probably knew way too much about the Dark Arts than was considered healthy, but he had no Ministry approved qualifications. He knew that if Dumbledore offered the job more than twice, Remus would have to take the job, no matter his feelings on it.

/page break/

Dumbledore sent another letter, two and a half weeks after their initial meeting. He informed Remus that the Ministry had not yet approved the appointment, but that they were thinking about it. That didn't give much hope for Remus, however, the professor had asked him to take the job one more time. It was a frightening concept, as Remus knew the older man was a very persuasive and determined man.

Remus had managed to get a new job, albeit a rather dull one. Remus loved books, but shelving a bunch of them for six hours a day at a slow library was not a piece of cake. It was very dull and Remus didn't enjoy it one bit. But it was a job and so Remus worked.

It was the end of July before Remus heard from Dumbledore again. Remus had begun to think that maybe the headmaster didn't really need him that badly and, while it hurt, Remus knew that it wasn't personal.

The rather short note asked Remus to be back at the Leaky Cauldron, but to be very careful. After all, who knew what the mass murderer Sirius Black would do to an old school chum?

Sirius. That was a sore subject, wasn't it? Remus was amazed, but not quite surprised by Sirius's breakout. He had always been a brilliant student, thinking further ahead than most. He was always coming up with new ideas and plans that almost always went off without a hitch. It actually made Remus feel warm and fuzzy to know that, even if he was an insane murderer, Sirius was still as brilliant as he always had been. Which could be a frightening concept for some, Remus supposed, but it wasn't as though Sirius was that _malicious_. Sure he was always a little odd and he could be a total shit, but Remus didn't think that he would intentionally harm hundreds of people.

Remus knew that Sirius could have murdered Peter; in fact Remus was sure that Sirius murdered Peter. He just didn't think that Sirius would have murdered thirteen innocent muggles. It just wasn't in his personality to be that cruel. Something else must have happened to cause the "Muggle Massacre of Piccadilly Station". Something behind the scenes, quite possibly an accomplice of some sort. However, Remus knew that Sirius didn't have it in him to commit sixteen murders in twelve hours!

He didn't know what to think about Sirius's connection to Lily and James's murders. His rational mind told the hopeless romantic side that he was responsible for the killings, even if Voldemort was the one to "pull the trigger". The hopeless romantic in him told the rational side to "shove off" and that his mate would never betray his family like that and there must be some sort of explanation. Remus didn't know what to do. He felt that the H.R. (Hopeless Romantic) was right in one aspect; he believed that there was another explanation for Sirius's involvement. He could have been tortured to reveal the information. A large dose of Veritaserum would have done it as well.

However, Remus was also with his R.M. (Rational Mind) in that Sirius was the one who had the secret and that he should have protected himself better so as not to reveal anything. Remus knew that Sirius had something to do with the Potter's murders, but wasn't necessarily the sole participant.

/page break/

Remus sat once more at the booth in the furthest corner. It had always been his favorite spot as a child. His parents would bring him to the Leaky Cauldron every once in a while and they would sit in this very spot. Remus would sit in the middle of them and stare out at the millions of people who seemed to visit the pub every afternoon. When he started going to school, he would come to this spot with James, Sirius, and Peter before the fall semester started and would chat. After all the time that had passed this was still one of Remus's favorite spots. He would sit and watch the people go by without being accused of something nefarious.

Remus stood once more as Professor Dumbledore approached him. It was the moment of truth. Remus was apprehensive about this meeting. It could be good or bad.

"Remus, you look well."

"I am, I guess. I could be worse." Joked Remus, sitting as the Headmaster slid into his seat. Today he was wearing very vibrant robes of purple with orange stripes. They were bordering on painful, quite honestly.

Dumbledore laughed and ran his hands over his beard, "I suppose so. Well, how about some lunch and a little chat? I daresay we need to have one."

Remus hung his head and sighed, "Yes, sir."

"Now don't look so trodden upon, Remus! Times like these deserve laughter and joy!"

Remus grinned; his old teacher was so odd sometimes. "I agree, Professor Dumbledore."

"Now, now, none of this Professor stuff, we're going to be colleagues aren't we?"

Remus was confused, "We are?"

"Of course, dear boy! The Ministry has approved your employment at Hogwarts! You'll start in September, or at least, I hope you will."

Remus didn't know what to say to that. The Ministry had approved it?! How was that possible? But, what happened if something happened and he got loose? He couldn't take the job, even if he did want it so badly.

"I'm sorry, I can't. There are too many risks and I…I just can't."

"I'm sorry to hear that. Well Minerva will be disappointed, as will Poppy, but I suppose that it is up to you," replied Dumbledore, standing. Remus nodded unhappily. It was for the best.

"Oh, I brought something for you! I thought you would be interested to see how much Harry has grown up. He's starting his third year, you know," said the professor, plopping a picture down onto the table. Remus pulled it to himself, his heartstrings tugging painfully.

It was a great picture; Remus didn't know how Dumbledore managed to get it. It was obviously of a slightly younger Harry, second year perhaps, and he was wearing a Gryffindor Quidditch robe. He was grinning at the camera, his arms around his other teammates. It reminded Remus of James. Remus sighed and glared down at the table.

"Fine."

"Pardon?" asked Dumbledore, the infernal twinkle back in his eyes.

"You win, you manipulative old man! I'll work for you." Remus murmured, not able to lift his eyes from the picture long enough to glare at the man.

Dumbledore smiled, "I'm glad, child. I'm glad. I'm sure that Harry would be delighted to find a link to his parents. He doesn't know much about them, you know. For some reason, his relatives don't much like talking about Lily and James. Pity. They were great people."

"There were." Remus agreed, running a finger down the side of photo Harry's face. He was so grown up and looked so much like his father. Except the eyes, his eyes were Lily's eyes, always.

/page break/

Remus stared up at the one place he thought he would never return to. Hogwarts was as magnificent as ever, rising high above the land, it was a stone marvel to all who viewed it. Remus felt instantly at home and comfortable.

Remus climbed the stairs that led to the front door with some trepidation. He hadn't seen these people for who knew how long and a lot of things had happened between then.

"Remus! I'm so glad you're here!" came an older sounding Minerva McGonagall. He smiled up at her and allowed the Scottish woman to give him a brief hug. It was nice to know that some people were still happy to see him.

"How are you, Professor McGonagall?"

"Now, none of that! We're both adults, I believe we can act like it and call each other by our first names. Don't you?"

Remus grinned, "Yes, Minerva."

"There we go. I'm fine, although I have heard you've had a real trip."

"Merlin knows it."

"Well come inside and let me show you where to put all of your things. Then we'll go down for the traditional staff dinner."

Remus was lost in a whirlwind of stone, colorful tapestries, and metal armor as Minerva swept them down a hallway Remus had only seen once or twice. A hallway that lead to the teacher's boardrooms. It was exciting to know that the last time he had been here he had no idea what was in these rooms. The Marauder's Map…he wondered what Filch had done to it after taking it from them back in sixth year. He wondered if he'd be able to convince Filch out of it.

"Here we go, your new rooms. I hope you like them."

Remus loved them! There was an incredible amount of space with bookshelves lining the walls. It was all stone of course, but the red tapestries brought the harshness down a bit. Remus walked forward and encountered a piece of furniture that he was sure he'd never see again. A red velvet couch stood off to the side of the room. It was the red velvet couch that was in his old apartment, Remus was sure of it. The nicks and bumps were far to close to the original not to be.

"Minerva, where did this couch come from?" he asked, turning to look at her. She frowned faintly, but answered.

"Albus had it brought in, he said something about sentimentality value. Why do you ask?"

Remus paused, but decided to tell her, "It was in the apartment Sirius and I shared once upon a time."

Minerva stood straighter with a shocked look on her face. "Oh…that man! He always did meddle too much. Would you like it to be removed?"

"No. It can stay. It is a great piece of furniture if you look pass the gaudy fabric." said Remus, smiling. Minerva smiled slightly as well.

"I can imagine. I have a rather wonderful armchair in my chambers, it belonged to my grandmother and it is covered in the worst fabric I believe I have ever seen!"

Remus laughed and moved towards the door. His things could be put away later. He wanted to see the castle one more time before the students took over.

"What fabric?" he asked as the wandered down the hall. The stern woman gave him a full fledged grin and replied:

"Dark green satin with silver trim."

A/N: There we go.


	14. Return

Disclaimer: Not mine. Can I stop putting this on? From now on see previous chapters. Some lines were taken from the movie and book; however, I tried to stay away from those.

Becoming Moony: Return

Remus looked down upon the slightly thin face that lay across the train seat. He looked so much like James it wasn't even funny anymore.

"Is he going to be okay?" asked the bushy haired girl next to him. Remus nodded.

"He'll be fine," replied Remus, "A little chocolate and some rest and he'll be fine."

The girl nodded and looked at the ginger haired male that Remus knew had to be a Weasley. Remus wondered how many Weasley children there were now. He knew Bill, Charlie, and Percy. The twins were tiny when he had met them, so they most likely didn't remember. Remus wondered if this was Ronald, he had been the youngest at the time. Time passed more quickly than you expected, didn't it?

Remus's eyes snapped back to Harry as he stirred and, after a few moments, opened his eyes. The confusion and worry was evident in the large emerald green orbs and Remus had to fight the urge to hug him. Remus still remembered the last time those eyes had looked at him. There was no betrayal anymore, just pain and loneliness. Something that Remus wished he could remove, but it was too far ingrained to banish it completely anymore.

"What happened?" asked Harry, sitting up, "What were those things?"

"Those would be Dementors. They guard Azkaban prison." Remus informed him. Harry nodded and looked at his surroundings.

Remus pulled the bar of Honeydukes chocolate out of his pocket. He always carried some form of chocolate on him, it saved having to find some on short notice. Remus broke it into pieces and distributed it to the three teenagers. He excused himself and left the compartment, mumbling something about the conductor.

It was almost too much to look at Harry for very long, knowing that Harry wouldn't remember him. It hurt. It hurt to know that the little boy he used to play with and change dirty nappies for didn't remember him in the slightest. Remus leaned against the wall just behind the conductor's booth and tried to calm himself. It wasn't everyday that one ran into a long lost nephew of some such and said nephew was in the process of getting his soul sucked out!

Remus was beginning to wish that he hadn't said that he wanted to ride the Hogwarts Express again; Dumbledore had taken to that idea way too quickly. Remus was wondering if maybe, just maybe, he had been set up. There was still Sirius to contend with and a teacher on the train would "derail" him, wouldn't it? Remus snorted at his own terrible joke and opened the door separating the conductor from the rest of the train.

/page break/

Remus picked morosely at his Shepherd's pie, it was good, but Remus was not in the mood to eat. The Dementors had completely sucked his appetite from him, plus Remus was feeling particularly nostalgic. Those feelings combined did not make for a very healthy appetite.

As Dumbledore dismissed the school, Remus had a rush of longing. He longed for the time when things were simple, when nobody knew that Remus was a werewolf and couldn't hold a steady job. When he was known as Remus Lupin and not Werewolf AFU974635.

Remus stumbled into his chambers, sincerely wishing that he could get drunk. It was very trying for a werewolf to get drunk; the average werewolf could down three times the amount a human being could. It did, however, make for fun drinking games. Remus remembered Lily's seventeenth birthday when, somehow, Firewhiskey had been smuggled in. Remus had been roped into a ridiculous drinking game; needless to say he had won. It was amusing to see the entirety of sixth and seventh year Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs, and Ravenclaws stumbling around drunk while he sat there grinning. Remus also remembered Sirius being quite _lustful_ that evening.

Remus went to bed drowning in memories and tequila.

/page break/

Remus stared down at the students who were filing into his classroom. Sixth year Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws, how lovely. They wouldn't be nearly as difficult as the Gryffindors and Slytherins.

"Good Morning." said Remus, hoping to Merlin that he wasn't making a horrendous mistake.

"Morning." The class mumbled back. Remus heaved a sigh and decided to just jump into it.

"Who can tell me what the last thing you studied last year?"

There was a mass of snickering and giggling. Remus got the feeling that that particular reaction had a story behind it.

"Okay that has a story to be told. Who, exactly, was your professor last year?" asked Remus, figuring he should know.

"Gilderoy Lockhart, sir." came a female's voice from the back of the class. Remus felt his eyes go wide and raised his face to the ceiling.

"Oh lord, you poor, poor students. Is he still as _fabulous _as he was when he was a student himself?" said Remus, flinging his hand downwards. The class laughed and nodded.

"He was very…fruity," said a Hufflepuff boy.

"I would imagine so, he was like that when I went to school. Of course, he was two years younger than I was, I didn't really know him that well. I'm glad I didn't if your reactions are anything to go by. Was he really that horrendous of a teacher?" asked Remus, remembering the flowery little blonde who loved to flounce around and flip his curls at anything that moved. Sirius was a favorite of his; Gilderoy would stand right in front of Sirius and flounce around. James thought it was hilarious at the time, until Gilderoy did it to him at least.

"He was horrible! We didn't learn a thing last year!" A Ravenclaw shouted from the middle. Remus laughed, it would figure a Ravenclaw would say something like that.

"Well, on that note, should I just review a little for today? We can start the real stuff next time." Remus asked to a mass nodding of heads.

Remus snickered and turned to one of the books piled on his desk. This teaching tons of students thing was going to turn out all right. He just hoped that all of his classes were this amiable.

/page break/

As the third year students filed into the staff room Remus glanced around at the mass of students and encountered a black glare.

"Lupin."

"Severus," said Remus, trying to be as nice as possible. Snape glared and turn to leave. Remus guessed that things would never be okay between the two of them, even if they had been friends once upon a time.

"Right! Now then, who can tell me what is in this wardrobe? Miss Granger?"

"A boggart."

"That is correct! And can you tell the class what, exactly, a boggart is?"

"A boggart is a shape shifter that lives in dark spaces and takes the form of the thing you fear most."

"Correct. Take five points for Gryffindor. And who, besides Hermione, can tell me why this particular boggart has no true shape right now? Harry, want to give it a guess?"

Harry paused, not sure if this was some form of humiliation, and gave a tentative answer, "Because there are too many of us in the room? And it wouldn't be able to tell?"

Remus grinned, "That's correct. Five points for Gryffindor."

Harry smiled and looked at Hermione, who looked a little sour at not being able to answer. Honestly though, thought Remus, the girl sounded like a bloody dictionary! He hadn't even be that bad when he was in his "encyclopedia" stage. The girl needed to loosen up just a tad or life would get boring fast.

Neville Longbottom's boggart made up for everything. Seeing Severus Snape trussed up in a long green dress, vulture hat, and red handbag made up for all the bad that had happened that week. Remus knew that it wasn't quite polite to laugh at a colleague, but it was too funny! Plus the Marauder in him was falling to absolute pieces at the thought of Severus finding out.

When he dismissed the class for the day, without letting Harry or Hermione participate, he noticed the confusion on Harry's face. Remus knew what the boy was thinking; he was wondering why didn't he get to "play" with the boggart? It was simple and if Harry really thought about it, he might realize that Voldemort appearing in the staff room might cause some problems.

Remus just hoped that Harry didn't take it as personally as some would. It wasn't meant to be a personal blow to Harry, it really wasn't. Remus was just trying to protect him from having to deal with that monster once again. But maybe Remus should have let Harry participate…his boggart may not necessarily be Lord Voldemort. Oh well, it was too late to feel bad about it, there wasn't anything he could do.

Remus hurried back to his classroom, the first years were about to arrive and he didn't want them to be on their own for long. Who knew what the first years would do to his books!

/page break/

The first full moon after returning to Hogwarts was not as messy, simply because Dumbledore had forced Snape to make the Wolfsbane potion for Remus. That potion tasted horrible! It smelt as bad as Peter's old socks and probably tasted worse. And there couldn't be any sugar in it, the horror!

Remus knew he had to take it though; it was safer for everyone if he did. The upside was that Remus didn't have to be locked into one of the cells in the Bestiary section of the Ministry. Those cells were horrendous. It was made completely out of silver and had electrical wire running up the sides of it. That made for some very painful full moons.

Remus looked through the masses of homework that had managed to pile up in the two days he was gone. How so much work could manage to pile up so quickly was beyond him, he only hoped it wouldn't take forever to grade. A shuffling outside the door made Remus look up. Harry passed the open doorway in a miserable shuffle. He looked very down for some reason. Remus got up to find out; after all, he was Harry's second godfather; even if Sirius, James, Lily, and him were the only ones who knew.

"Harry?" Harry turned, surprise on his face. He obviously had not expected to run into Remus. "What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be in Hogsmeade?"

"No. The Dursley's wouldn't sign the permission slip. McGonagall said I couldn't go." Harry mumbled. Remus nodded.

"Well, do you want to come inside? I was planning on making some tea." He hadn't been, but if it would allow Harry to spend some time with someone who cared for him so be it.

The answering smile was well worth the blatant lie Remus had just told. It made Remus feel warm and fuzzy to see Lily's smile again, because Harry did have his mother's heart rendering smile. Harry looked very much like James but it was Lily's eyes and smile that made Harry unique.

Remus pulled out the tin he kept the tea bags in, noting the grimace on Harry's young face. Remus grinned and assured Harry that they were tea bags, no loose tea for Remus, it was far too expensive for a werewolf. Harry gave a relieved smile and relaxed a bit more.

"So, why wouldn't your relatives sign the slip?" asked Remus, putting a mug of tea in front of Harry. Remus put three lumps of sugar in his own cup. Harry grinned at the tabletop before sobering.

"Well, I blew my aunt up." Remus choked on his tea. Harry was quick to amend the statement. "Well, she's not really my aunt. She's my Uncle Vernon's sister. Wait, this isn't coming out right."

Remus stared at Harry in shock as he explained the situation. Harry looked up at Remus with a sheepish expression on his face. Remus couldn't take it anymore; he was going to burst if he didn't! Harry looked on in astonishment as his normally calm and composed professor laughed his arse off. He clearly had been expecting a more admonishing reaction to his "high flying" mistake. It was too funny, though! Harry had clearly not meant to do it, but it was far too hilarious to ignore.

"Well, I suppose that would be an acceptable reason to not sign a permission slip," said Remus as he calmed himself. Harry grinned and agreed softly.

"Yeah, I thought I was going to be arrested. Especially when Minister Fudge showed up at the Leaky Cauldron."

"Oh Harry, they wouldn't arrest you. You are far too young for that, besides it was an accident. Right?"

"Well, sort of. She was insulting my parents over and over and I got sick of hearing it! So I wished she would disappear or blow up or something of the sort. So she did." Harry twisted his hands miserably. Remus put a hand on top of Harry's to get him to stop twisting.

"It's all right Harry, no one blames you for that. Come on, if the Minister understood then everyone else does, right?"

"I guess so. Hey, Professor? Why didn't I get to take a chance with the boggart?"

"Oh, I thought it was rather obvious. I didn't think you would want Lord Voldemort popping up in the middle of the room."

"I didn't think of him, not at first at least. I remembered those Dementors and how I felt."

"That is rather wise, Harry. What you fear is simply that, fear. Many older and greater wizards don't have that kind of comprehension, Harry," said Remus, smiling at the thirteen-year-old across the table. Harry grinned back.

/page break/

Remus couldn't believe it. He simply couldn't believe it. Or could he? Harry was more like his father than one imagined in certain aspects. The fact that Harry was in possession of The Marauders Map was astounding. How he had gotten it? Remus had the feeling Fred and George Weasley had something to do with it. Those two jokers were almost worse in their cunningness than James and Sirius had ever been. At least the Weasleys were more playful and friendly in their pranking.

The fact that Harry had run into Severus with it was even worse. Remus hadn't seen the beginning of that particular encounter but was assured that it was ugly. He had seen what had been written on the map, it was genius but still rude.

Actually, now that Remus truly thought about it the comments the funnier it became. When they had set that particular defense mechanism they hadn't been thinking of the damage it could do, but more of the humor. Then again, if Severus hadn't been the butt of so many jokes it might have been funnier to him.

Remus flipped open the map and took a long look at it. It really hadn't changed all that much in the eighteen years it had been at the school. It did have a few rips and stains, but all that it did was add a little more character to the key to Hogwarts. The black ink was starting to wear a little thin, however, a little preservation charm would fix that.

It was rather nice to look at the pieces of parchment that had brought him so many memories. Remus gave a small grin and put his wand to the paper. As the map disappeared Remus gave a sigh behind his grin. That time was over and most certainly wouldn't be returning. It had been nice while it lasted. It was definitely one of the best times of his life.

Remus opened his desk drawer and slipped the map inside, locking it tightly. It wouldn't do for anyone to get a hold of it. Especially with the earlier break-ins. It was terrifying that Sirius could break out of Azkaban and break into Hogwarts, but Remus supposed that it had something to do with Black family traits.

What Harry had said about Peter was confusing. How could he have seen Peter on the map? The map didn't lie, they had programmed it not to! But Remus didn't want to believe that Harry would lie about something that serious. Remus had no idea what to believe in anymore. Things were so confusing and the Dementors surrounding the school certainly didn't help. What was the Ministry thinking! Putting dangerous creatures around students was insane! Remus snorted, mentally grinning at his choice of words. It wasn't as though he wasn't a dark creature himself.

Remus sat in bed for hours, pondering the mystery that had developed in the span of two hours.

/page break/

He hadn't been to a Quidditch game in so long he had forgotten the excitement and competition that beguiled it. Remus vividly recalled the last Quidditch match of his seventh year, Slytherin versus Gryffindor, what a bloody match. Both teams were made up completely of seventh year students and had become a death match between them. Remus wondered if maybe that hadn't been part of the reason the rivalry was so bad. The Marauders had certainly targeted a great many Slytherins and so forth. Arthur Weasley and Lucius Malfoy had started it, that was a little known fact of course, but it was true. There had been next to no rivalry in the years before the two and had suddenly exploded the year they arrived at Hogwarts.

Remus grinned as Harry flew past on his Firebolt. Remus didn't know much about brooms, but this one was particularly nice. Whoever had given it to Harry obviously cared about him. Remus wished it could have been him, but that was impossible.

"Gryffindor wins the Cup!" Remus rose with the rest of the professors, a shit-eating grin on his face. James would have been so proud of Harry. He laughed as the players descended in a tight twine. The Gryffindors, Ravenclaws, and Hufflepuffs all streamed out onto the field, dancing and celebrating the downfall of the snake house. Remus took a look at his colleagues and had to laugh. Severus looked as though he had been force fed a basket of lemons, a Cheering potion, and told that Christmas came everyday. Minerva was yelling loudly, sniffling into her tartan scarf and bouncing up and down, slapping Severus in the back of the head on the down. Pomona Sprout was doing an odd sort of tango jig with Sinistra and Flitwick. Albus was grinning around at everyone, his eyes (and robes) looking like a Guy Fawkes sparkler.

Madame Pomfrey grabbed a hold of Remus's arm and gave an excited "Whoop!" Remus laughed and joined in on the "Tan-jig" at Flitwick's insistence. These were some of the oddest people, mused Remus, and they were all teaching the next generation. The people on the field were doing some sort of odd dance to coincide with the professors. They were slinging their arms around, waving their hand in circles, and yelling at the top of their lungs. The Slytherins hung off to the side, disappointment clear. Remus hoped that Draco Malfoy didn't have too hard a time with his classmates; the boy didn't deserve it. Remus knew what Draco had been raised around, but sincerely hoped that it didn't control his every move.

/page break/

Remus stared in horror as the scene unfolded on the map in front of him. Harry, Hermione, and Ron were down by the Whomping Willow, duking it out with Sirius. The other person on the map nearly gave Remus a heart attack, his mind flashing to the events that had led to Sirius's imprisonment. Remus watched as the dot labeled Sirius dived at the dots labeled Ron and Peter Pettigrew. The three dots moved quickly towards the opening in the willow, down into it, and beyond. Harry and Hermione were trying desperately to get in as well. Remus knew he had to get going or risk someone getting killed.

Remus rushed out of his rooms and down the hallway, nearly mowing down Trelawney. The woman stared at Remus's back as he disappeared around the corner. Her voice floated after him, total confusion lacing the words she spoke.

He reached the Willow in less time than he thought. What would have normally taken twenty minutes had only taken an astonishing ten! He must have tapped into his werewolf speed at some point. For once in his life Remus was glad he had superior werewolf speed and smell, it helped get him to the group faster. As Remus slipped down into the Willow he had a brief moment of hesitation. Had he cleared the Map? There was nothing for it though, he didn't have the time to go and clear it, he had to go and avert what was sure to be a disaster.

/page break/

"He's a werewolf!" Remus closed his eyes and brought his arm out from around Sirius's waist. That blasted girl was too goddamn smart! He knew it would get someone in trouble. Remus turned and gave the three teenagers what he hoped was a smile. It felt more like a grimace and, judging by Sirius's expression, was not quite what he wanted.

"You really are the smartest witch of your age, aren't you?" Hermione had a brief flash of pride before a stoic mask covered her face once again. Proud little shit wasn't she? Should've been a Ravenclaw.

"How long have you known?"

"Since Professor Snape's essay." Remus was going to murder that bloody, no good, f-ing Death Eater! He was going to rip Snape to shreds, bite him into tiny pieces, and use him in a potion!

"Very good, that's what it was meant to do, he'll be so pleased." Remus said, the children not catching the under current of sarcasm. Sirius coughed a laugh out, he had heard it then.

A sudden movement at the doorway had them all turning to it. Nobody was there. Even in the Shrieking Shack that was an oddity. As Ron blathered on about ghosts Remus moved to the doorway. Nothing, absolutely nothing. Odd…

"There are no ghosts! The noises were made by me on the full moons!" snapped Remus, tired off the inane babblings been spouted out. Remus went on to explain the entire story that had led up to his admittance to Hogwarts.

The pain in Sirius's face when Remus recited the Sixth Year prank story made it quite clear to Remus what had gone on in Azkaban. Reliving your worst memories over and over was a pain Remus would only wish on a few people. Sirius was NOT one of them and he never would be. Even when Sirius had first been sentenced Remus hadn't wished that. Dementors were horrible, unnatural creatures that should be returned to whence they came.

The night only got worse as Severus pulled off James's, no, _Harry's_ invisibility cloak. This could not possibly get any worse, thought Remus, mentally slapping himself afterwards. Saying that, even mentally, would only make it happen faster.

Remus shook his head as the two "children" bickered. Even Ron and Hermione were more mature. He wished that Sirius and Severus would give it up and stop fighting with each other.

"Severus, you haven't heard it all. You've simply jumped to the wrong conclusion," stated Remus, trying to stave off more cutting remarks.

"He can't help it Remus, it's more likely a habit by now." snarked Sirius, grinning maliciously. Remus groaned as Snape's face darkened and an amused snort came from the corner. Remus glanced at the three teenagers, turning in time to see Hermione smack Ron upside his head. Harry was looking at the floor in deep concentration, ignoring the bickering going on around him.

Remus moved forward but was stopped by a wand in the face. Sirius growled low at Snape for daring to do such a thing. Remus took a step backwards and tried to play the mediator. It didn't work. Things seemed to worsen in the time they spent standing there.

Sirius and Remus stared on as Harry took on and took out Snape by himself. They both flinched as Harry turned his wand on them and demanded to be told about Peter Pettigrew. Sirius made a huffy noise and Remus glared at him. Now was not the time to be impatient, Harry deserved to know the entire story and Remus said so.

As Remus gave the condensed version of the Marauder Chronicles, understanding began to dawn on Harry and Hermione's faces. Ron was a little dim, plus having a broken leg, he obviously wasn't catching it. That was all right for now though, as long as someone other than Remus had cottoned on.

/page break/

_Moony shook his head slowly, what was wrong with him? He felt so strange...lost in a way. And the oddest smells were circling him. Padfoot, Wormtail, something that smelt like Prongs, and…ew…potions. What was going on? He must have been clonked on the head harder than he first thought. _

_Moony looked up and saw three humans. One looked familiar, like Prongs, how odd. The other two were different; he didn't know them, They didn't look like they were going to hurt him, but he had taken far too many chances before, best to get the temptation out of the way. Moony growled and watched in satisfaction as the two took a step backwards, horror covering their faces. The one that looked like Prongs didn't react though. _

_Moony had a sudden spark of inspiration. Maybe, it wasn't a Prongs look-a-like, maybe it was Prongs's cub! A cub in the pack! How come he didn't know about the happy occasion? His human obviously hadn't been conveying things to him. He didn't want to hurt the cub then, however, the other two were fair game. Moony gave a long howl and moved forward, determined to get the two strangers and protect the cub. _

_Moony grunted as a large weight slammed into his side. Ouch. He looked and saw a larger, fiercer, and more ragged Padfoot. What in the Goddess's name? What had happened to his mate that caused him to look like that? And where had he been? Humans…thought Moony, humans did this. _

_Padfoot! You're back! _

_ Moony, you can't attack them. _

_Why not? _

_It's not right. They haven't done anything. _

_Are you questioning me, mate? _

_Moony growled and put his ears back; mates were not allowed to question their betters. Padfoot realized his mistake and backpedaled quickly. The humans looked on in growing horror as Moony advanced on his lost mate. Good, they needed to learn the consequences of messing with an Alpha wolf. _

_Moony chased Padfoot into the undergrowth, backhanding him with a large paw at the first chance. Padfoot gave a whine and backed away from the enraged wolf, moving farther into the brush. Moony moved to go after him, but turned when he felt a sharp rock collide with the back of his head. It was that blasted cub! How dare he? _

_Moony moved towards the cub, hoping to simply scare it into submission but not wanting to hurt a cub. Male or not, cubs were no challenge until their seventeenth year. _

_A sudden howling interrupted him. Another wolf? In his territory?! How dare they! Moony ran off into the bushes, hoping to track down the wolf that dared to invade his territory. He forgot about the scared humans, impetuous cub, and returned mate and dedicated himself to the hunt._

/page break/

Remus watched as the castle he had called home for so long disappeared behind him. He couldn't believe that he had to leave once again. It was all Severus's fault, it really was. If he hadn't opened his gob none of this would have happened. Stupid Death Eater, totally worthless scum...grr. What Remus wouldn't have given to give Snape to Moony. But no, that would only bring larger problems.

/page break/

Remus huffed and let himself into the cottage Dumbledore was letting him rent. At least Dumbledore was letting him do that. The man had tried to give the two bedroom Welsh cottage to Remus, but the death glare Remus had given him had changed the old man's mind very quickly.

The quaint little house was fully furnished as well, damn Dumbledore. Remus put his suitcase down in the hallway and set about finding things. Remus turned into a doorway and encountered a piece of furniture he swore he had left at Hogwarts. That blasted red velvet couch sat smack dab in the middle of the room. Remus banged his head against the doorframe, determined to do some damage to his brain cells.

"You know, Remus, that banging your head on the wall burns 150 calories per hour?" Remus spun around and tripped over a small stool in shock.

Sirius Black laughed as Remus stared at him from the floor. Sirius reached down and pulled Remus to his unsteady feet.

"Sirius…what are you still doing here! What about the Ministry? And the…" Remus quieted as Sirius put a finger over his mouth.

"I had to see you before I left. I wanted to thank you for believing me when you didn't have to."

"But…"

"No. Don't say anything…it'll only make leaving harder." said Sirius, moving towards the back door. Remus followed him, his jaw still unhinged. Sirius walked out to where Buckbeak waited. Remus stood back, knowing how some animals got around him, besides the hoof mark on his side still hadn't healed.

"Bye, Remmie." whispered Sirius, pressing a kiss against Remus's cheek. Remus gasped and pressed a hand against the spot as Sirius flew off to some unknown frontier.

A/N: Happy Holidays! Let me know what you think!


	15. Laying Low

Disclaimer: Not mine. I know I said I wouldn't do this again, but what the heck.

A/N: Read, dang it!

A little shout out to those lovely people who review: Thank you so much! It makes me happy to open my inbox and find reviews.

And to my beta who is so wonderful: Hope you feel better!

Becoming Moony: Laying Low

Remus blew out the white cathedral candle and braced himself for the wave of depression that would hit him. It came and went with startling clarity and briefness. It was not unlike the many other spirits Remus had "released". The large woman standing just outside the altar circle started babbling incoherently about how thankful she was. He brushed off her declarations of eternal gratitude with a wan smile. He didn't really do all that much; he just persuaded "unruly" spirits to bugger off. Not that big a deal really. Of course, the poor landlady didn't quite view it like that.

Remus walked away from the Pig's Feet Pub & Inn feeling much better than when he had first arrived there. Maybe it was because he had helped someone or maybe it was knowing that he was one hundred galleons richer. Either way, Remus had a bounce in his step that hadn't been seen for quite a while.

He opened the door to the cottage, so lovingly named The Dog's Den, weary from the long distance apparation. He knew better than to go such a long distance in one jump, especially with how he had been lately. He dumped his cloak and his bag on the entrance hallway's floor, the half-burned cathedral candles rolling out of it like a waxy rainbow.

A sudden noise from the bathroom brought Remus's weariness to an abrupt and rather jarring halt. What the hell? Remus crept towards the room, stalking whatever was in his house. He pulled his wand from the holder on his thigh, holding it tightly. He moved forward faster and faster, before coming just outside the door, straightening, preparing for a final stand, flinging the door open…and encountering a dripping wet and very naked Sirius Black.

/page break/

Remus put his head in his hands and groaned miserably. He couldn't believe himself. He had just stood there, staring his eyeballs out. His jaw hanging unattractively, wand dangling from the tips of his fingers, it was not a pretty sight. And, of course, Sirius just had to go and give a sarcastic "See anything you like, Moony?" That man was so infuriating! Remus had managed to stutter something unintelligible and scoot away from the door.

Footfalls on the stairs alerted to the hormonal nemesis coming towards him. Sirius popped his head into the kitchen and moved into the room slowly. Remus couldn't even bring himself to look up; only the footsteps moving closer told him that Sirius was on the move.

"Sorry if I startled you, Remmie." Remus snorted and shook his head.

"S'okay. Shouldn't have snuck up like that anyways. Too damn paranoid these days."

"I don't blame you. You can't be too careful these days." Sirius placed his still emaciated hands on Remus's tense shoulders. He rubbed carefully and Remus slowly relaxed.

"I didn't expect you to be here for another three weeks. Did something happen?"

"Eh, Hephzibah Coils didn't take so well to seeing me, had the Ministry called before I could get in a word edgewise. Had to beat it quick. You were my last stop."

"Gee, nice to know how I rate in the scheme of things. Let's leave the werewolf out of the loop for as long as possible! Don't want him to go blabbing." Remus said, aware of how pathetic he sounded. Sirius squeezed the shoulders beneath his hands hard. Remus let out a squeak.

"Don't you talk about yourself like that! I didn't tolerate it when we were younger and I sure as hell won't now! No one talks about my Remmie like that." Sirius stated, hugging Remus by the shoulders. Remus laughed a sad laugh, putting his hands on top of Sirius'.

"Okay, I won't. I'll try anyways."

"Good. I'm hungry."

"I'm glad I went to the store yesterday. What do you want?"

"Anything but rats. And fish, I don't want fish."

"Oh, Sirius…" Remus turned in Sirius's arms, eyes wetting. Sirius smiled at him and pressed a kiss to Remus's forehead.

"Don't worry about me, Remus. I'm okay aren't I?" Sirius didn't even sound sure and it made Remus's heart crack.

"How about chicken? We don't want your stomach rejecting anything. Something light for now and we'll build up. How's that sound?"

"I like chicken." Remus grinned and stood. Sirius sat in the chair Remus had vacated. "Harry's a sweet kid."

"Random change of subject, but, yes, he is." Remus said, pulling things out of the antique fridge and cabinet.

"He, Ron, and Hermione brought me some stuff when he came to see me. He was all concerned and stuff. It's funny. With the way he looks, you'd think he was more like James, but he's all Lily's. All Lily's…" Sirius put his head on the table, shoulders quivering with a thousand tiny quakes. Remus stopped moving around to stare at the broken man in front of him. He wondered how long Sirius had been carrying that around with him.

"It's going to be all right, Paddy. It's going to be all right."

" Yeah. I guess so."

/page break/

Remus shot straight up in bed as the piercing wail got louder and more desperate. At first he thought it was the wards reacting to something. Then he realized with dawning horror that it wasn't the wards, it was Sirius. Remus jumped from his bed, nearly tripped over the continental quilt on the floor, and stumbled to the closet of a guest room.

Sirius was staring straight up at the ceiling, screams ending only to start again. It was really no wonder Sirius had started to have nightmares, the room was frigid and his covers were all over the floor. Remus climbed onto the bed and shook Sirius's shoulders lightly, not wanting to hurt the poor man.

"Sirius. Wake up! It's okay; it's just a dream. Wake up…" Remus patted Sirius's cheek until the unseeing eyes focused onto Remus's face and the screams faded off. Sirius was breathing heavily and his eyes darted around and around the room. Remus brushed a few stray hairs out of Sirius's eyes and sighed.

"Remmie. Wha…what happened?"

"You had a nightmare, Paddy. But you're okay now. There isn't anything to worry about. No Dementors."

"No Dementors?"

"No, Paddy. No Dementors." Remus sighed once more and moved to pile Sirius's covers back onto the bed correctly. Sirius watched him move around the room, his face still covered with cold sweat.

"Remus?"

"Yes?"

"Stay with me?" Remus froze, that was breaching a contract he had with himself, but did he really want to leave a terrified Sirius by himself? No, no he didn't.

"Okay, but you owe me," said Remus, climbing into bed. He pulled the covers up around his neck and tried to go back to sleep. Sirius obviously was not having the same problems he was, as the sawing of Redwoods, commenced almost immediately. Remus huffed and turned to face the man who had haunted his dreams for almost twenty years.

He looked different, but underneath it all he was the same. Remus just hoped that Sirius's nightmares wouldn't continue for very long. It was the most horrible thing Remus had ever heard, and that was saying quite a bit.

Remus had no idea what time he had finally fallen asleep but he was awoken by bright sunlight, birds chirping merrily, and Sirius's lower anatomy pressing up against him. Right, thought Remus, how to deal with this? Pretend I didn't notice? No. Shove him away? Double no. Scream EW and jump up and down? Definitely not.

Remus was saved the problem of dealing with said dilemma as Sirius rolled the opposite way and landed, painfully, on the floor. The small cottage was soon filled with Sirius's rumbling curses and Remus's shrieks of laughter.

Remus ran down the hall, trying to escape the mad convict. He slammed into the couch and flipped over it, rolling to the floor. Sirius jumped after him, landing two feet from the intended space. Remus got to his feet and dashed into the kitchen. He grabbed a random knife from the drawer, brandishing it at his attacker.

"A butter knife?" At Sirius's skeptical look, Remus glanced at the knife in his hand. It was indeed a butter knife. How stupid. What was a butter knife going to do to anyone?

"It is merely a symbol of intense strength and sound mentalities."

"Uh-huh."

"It is!"

"And Buckbeak is a chicken."

"I didn't know he was a chicken," said Remus, trying to suppress a grin. Sirius snorted and moved towards Remus once more. Remus moved until he hit a worrisome object…a counter. A counter that just so happened to be in a corner. Well shit, thought Remus just before Sirius attacked.

Remus banged his head slightly as he went down, doing a very unmanly impression of a mating banshee as he did so. Sirius tickled him until he couldn't breath and was blue in the face. Remus managed to gain the upper hand after ten minutes of "Tickle Wars". He grabbed one of Sirius's bony wrists and dragged it upwards, the rest of the body following.

/page break/

Remus flipped the pages of his book slowly, not really reading anything. Things were far too odd these days to get much done. Sirius now had regained his old habit of crawling into bed with Remus and it made for a rather uncomfortable situation. Remus had promised himself to let Sirius recover fully before attempting to rekindle a relationship. He didn't even know if Sirius still felt that way about him, Azkaban did things to people's minds.

"Remmie…. whatcha doin'?" asked Sirius, plopping his head down in Remus's lap. Remus ran a hand through the still tangled mess.

"Nothing. You know what? We should fix your hair."

"It is rather sad, isn't it? Not like it used to be."

"It is, it's just more tangled."

Sirius looked up at him and smiled. "Come on, let's go fix this mess of a nest."

Remus sent Sirius on to the bathroom to get settled as he grabbed his wand and a pair of kitchen shears. He hoped he didn't have to use them, but you never knew about these things.

"What are you going to do with those?" asked Sirius as he caught sight of the intimidating shears.

"Hopefully nothing. Just in case."

Remus settled in for a long haul, Sirius's hair was so long and matted it looked more like a rat's nest than anything else. He cut one snarl out and rolled his eyes at Sirius's whimper.

"Oh, stop it, Sirius. It's just the snarls. I have to get the ones too large to do anything with first. Then I'll detangle the rest and start snipping. All right?"

"Yeah," came the little voiced answer.

Remus set to work, putting all of his concentration into getting Sirius's hair the way he used to have it. He worked for three straight hours before he managed to get any actual cutting done. There were so many tangles and snarls in the long hair that half of it had to be removed.

Sirius looked at himself in the mirror, absolutely enamored with his new reflection. His hair had been teased and tweaked until it was almost back to its original luster. It still came to his shoulders but actually had bounce! There was bloody bounce! Remus had done a very good job and he felt very accomplished. He knew he had a few talents, but hadn't thought that hair styling was one of them.

"Are you quite satisfied?" asked Remus, to a still ogling Sirius. He got a wide grin and a shake of the head in reply. Remus watched as Sirius shifted into Padfoot, standing on his hind legs to get a look in the mirror. Remus had to admit, even Padfoot looked better than he had.

"When you're finished playing Narcissus, I'll be in the kitchen with lunch." Remus turned and walked away, a happy "Lunch?" following him. He wondered if Sirius would ever stop thinking with his stomach. Then again, Sirius hadn't gained near enough weight yet; he was still far too thin. Especially for Remus's tastes, he liked his men with a little meat on them. Although, Sirius would always be the only one for him.

Remus and Sirius ate a calm lunch, or at least Remus tried to have a calm lunch. Sirius decided halfway through that flinging the mashed potatoes at Remus was far better than eating them. This, of course, ensued in an epic food battle. Remus won.

A messy Sirius flung himself at Remus instead of admitting defeat as per usual. They ended up in a food-covered pile in the middle of the floor, too busy laughing their arses off to realize how close they were to the other. Remus noticed first and immediately flushed maroon. How embarrassing.

"Hey, Moony, you've got a…a…" Sirius started, reaching forward into Remus's hair.

"A what?"

"A dreaded maraschino bug!" yelled Sirius, flinging the maraschino cherry away from them. Remus laughed along, wondering how this could last.

"Moony?"

"Hmm?"

"You're pretty when you're covered in potato."

"I…well...um…thank you, I think." Remus replied, not sure if Sirius was still joking.

Neither remembered who initiated the kiss, but it was good. It was like coming home after a long journey with no wand. It was heaven. And it was all theirs.

A/N: There it is! I do realize that this one is slightly shorter than the norm, but I didn't want to do too much with it. Oh well, we're getting closer to the end! How sad is that? I don't know what I'm going to do with myself.

I am currently in the process of writing two new stories; both deal with Remus. One is a Titanic type story and the other has chocolate galore! How great is that. I don't know when these will be done so please bear with me.


	16. A Grim Interval

Disclaimer: It's not mine. Not mine at all.

A/N: So, I'm at work as I type and I feel terrible. I hate being here and I wish I were at home. Yes, yes, I know-QUIT! I'm planning on it as soon as possible.

Hope I don't make anybody cry.

Becoming Moony: A Grim Interval

Remus opened his eyes blearily as his body was moved closer to the edge of the bed. Honestly, if Sirius didn't stop trying to shuffle him out of bed at night he was going to remove himself. The shuffling stopped. Remus grinned, thinking that maybe Sirius had heard his mental threat. He closed his eyes, briefly, and snapped them open as he fell off the bed and onto the floor.

"Ooof!"

" You 'kay, Remmie?" murmured Sirius, leaning over the edge. Remus rolled over and glared up at the man who claimed to love him.

"Fine." Sirius nodded and pulled his head back. Remus clambered back onto the mattress, his knees creaking painfully. Remus lay down next to Sirius, content to sleep for another three or twelve hours.

Remus smiled as Sirius's arms wound around him, snuggled down into the warm body, and was abruptly jammed back into wakefulness as Molly Weasley's voice screeched up the stairwell, announcing breakfast.

"I hate that woman. She's more annoying than Lily was when she was pregnant!" Sirius growled. Remus groaned and threw a pillow over his head, not wanting to remove himself from the warm sheets.

"Remus! Dear, time for breakfast! Sirius! Get UP!" came Molly's voice, her knocking piercing into their tired brains.

"I so love it the way she is so bloody nice to you, but seems to hate my very existence."

Remus sighed, "She's jealous."

Sirius scoffed, "Jealous? Of what? Spending twelve years behind bars and two on the run. Great thing to be jealous of."

"No, you great berk! She's jealous of the fact that she isn't the only "adult" in Harry's life anymore."

Sirius paused from where he was dragging a pair of trousers on. An un-elegant "huh" expression covered his face. Remus rolled his eyes and prayed. The man was so dense sometimes.

"She's jealous because of Harry?"

"No. She's jealous that Harry now has you to go to, instead of just running to her every time he needs a parental view. She's jealous that she won't be the only parental person in Harry's heart. She's jealous that you seem to be stealing the little boy she adopted right out from under her nose. She doesn't like you because you represent a wall between her and her newest little "duckling"."

"Wow," started Sirius, "That was terribly long-winded of you. Where did you get that monologue from?"

"I do try," said Remus, laughing and walking out the door, pulling on his favorite argyle jumper.

Sirius came bounding after him, snagging him around the waist. He twirled Remus around twice and then set off down the staircase. Remus paused to get his bearings back and walked after the wayward Black, intending to do some bodily damage.

/page break/

Remus glanced around at the group around him: a smug Moody, an infuriated Molly, a sulking Sirius, four irritated Weasley teenagers, a twinkling Dumbledore, and one sneering Snape. A very strange and motley crew. He was glad that he seemed to be mostly sane.

"So it's settled then. Alastor, Remus, Kingsley, Nymphadora, and a few others will make-up the Advance Guard. You will be leaving as soon as its dusk. The rear and side guards will follow. Alastor, you are in charge."

Dumbledore stood to leave. Sirius moved to intercept him, hoping to plead with the man once more.

"Why can't I go? It'll be dark! No one will see me!"

"For goodness sakes', Sirius! Stop behaving little a badly raised five year old. One would think your mother hadn't taught you any manners at all." Everyone within earshot of Molly winced. Sirius did NOT take lightly to comments and jokes made about his childhood.

"Well, we can't all be raised like you Molly. Not everyone has loving, doting parents and two older brothers who would _die_ for you, now do they?" The room winced again. Molly still hadn't forgiven herself for the deaths of Fabian and Gideon Prewitt. They had died protecting her, Bill, Charlie, and Percy. It was a sore point and it looked as though Sirius and Molly were both going for the jugular.

Dumbledore intervened before things got too ugly, "Sirius, my word is final, you will not be going tonight. Molly, do stop acting like a wronged child. It doesn't behoove either of you to act like this. This kind of behavior is what Voldemort wants. And this isn't what Harry needs to return to."

Dumbledore plays nasty as well, thought Remus, smirking at the two cowed adults. The only difference is that Dumbledore wins.

Remus glared at the offending piece of wood and straw that lay in front of him. He had thought they would be doing side –along Apparition. Not flying. Eugh, what a horrible thought, he had to get on a broom and go up in the air, fly to a height at which a fall would kill you…!

"Don't think about it, Moony. Just pretend it's like the bike. You aren't going to fall, it'll be okay."

Remus nodded at Sirius, still feeling green. Remus didn't look good in green; especially not puke green. It didn't go well with his complexion. Broomsticks also didn't look good with Remus's complexion; books and chocolate were better.

/page break/

Remus looked down at Harry, smiling gently as the boy laughed wildly. He was obviously enjoying the flight. He was glad that somebody was; he sure as hell wasn't. He didn't like flying, it was colder than Antarctica, and Nymphadora was flirting with him…_again_. He really wished she wouldn't do that. It was hard enough knowing that he was screwing her mother's cousin; it was something entirely different knowing that he had babysat her and had, at one point, changed her dirty nappies!

Remus was deliriously happy when his feet finally touched land. He briefly thought about kneeling and kissing the hard cement beneath him, but figured that might derail any respect others still had for him. On the other hand, it may make Nymphadora think again about his "irresistible and utter hotiness".

He loved the look on Harry's face as 12 Grimmauld came into existence. He had seen it on many a first years face and with Harry, it never got old. It reminded him that magic was still magic to some and not just a way of life. It wasn't something to be used with nonchalance; it was a figurative deity. Magic was a deity in that someone somewhere prayed for this sort of being and lived for it. It was a child's wet dream; that they could have the power to banish their fears and their bullies with no consequence or ill fate.

Poor Harry had never had a proper childhood and Remus doubted that Harry ever would. With the threat of Voldemort hanging over his head, the death of a classmate, and worry for everyone around him dragged Harry down to the deepest pits of hell. It was a strong will that kept him from drowning in the purple sea of agony.

/page break/

Remus glared at Sirius and dared him to do anything but sleep. That stunt he had pulled at dinner was bloody ridiculous and childish. Molly hadn't been any better, but still! Sirius should know better. Remus knew that Harry needed to be kept in the loop, but to give him information that could get him killed was suicidal! What had Sirius been thinking? Oh wait, Sirius didn't think. Not when it came to important things like love, friendship, and his godson's life!

"I'm sorry, Remmie. She just made me so mad." Sirius rubbed a warm palm up and down Remus's back. Remus gave a loud huff and shrugged him away.

"Sorry doesn't cover it Sirius. You could endanger Harry's life by giving him too much information; you know that! So why would you do something like this?"

"I," sighed Sirius, "I just want Harry to like me."

Remus froze. Sirius wanted Harry to what?! "Sirius, Harry adores you. Why would you think otherwise?"

"I don't know. It just seems like he's so far away and I can't reach him. It's like being in a mental Azkaban sometimes."

"Oh, Paddy. How can you not see the adoration in Harry's eyes every single time he looks at you? How can you not see that?" asked Remus, trying not to cry as he turned to face his distraught lover.

Sirius shuffled around and finally sat up shrugging, "I don't know. He just doesn't seem very…I don't know."

"He was raised by Lily's horrid sister and her husband, Sirius. They obviously didn't show him any sort of attention. Certainly not love. I heard him telling Ron and Hermione that his uncle tried to throw him out. Harry just isn't used to people putting an interest in what he wants."

"Oh, I thought that maybe he just didn't want to, you know, be around me." Sirius sighed and rested his head on his knees. Remus put his arms around the man, praying for patience to deal with these newly found insecurities.

"It's all right, Paddy. Give him all the attention you feel he needs, but don't endanger his life in the process. Harry isn't nearly as stupid as James was when it comes to breaking rules."

"Naw, he breaks rules like Lily did. Bent them to fit her needs, didn't she?"

Remus laughed, "That does sound like Lily. Mind you, she would not approve of Harry's disturbing habit of saving people."

"He's got a hero complex as long as Snape's nose!" snorted Sirius.

Remus groaned and shoved the man away, "You are so horrible. He really isn't that bad, I mean he does make the Wolfsbane for me."

"Yeah, that's the only good thing about him," said Sirius, wrapping his arms around Remus's waist and dragging him down to the pillows.

Remus rolled his eyes and settled in to sleep; those two would never get along, would they?

/page break/

Remus slumped onto the wall leading into the ever-bleaker house. His arms were bleeding profusely onto the floor and his robes were falling of his body. He winced as coughs wracked his body. Goddess, he bloody hated werewolf clans. They were nice and lovely to be around until you mentioned a war and then they jumped your bones! They didn't let you speak, didn't let you eat; they just tortured you until your brain was numb and let you go. Damn animals.

"Remmie? Is that you? How was the…holy shit!" came Sirius's voice. Remus felt the warm hands surround his arms and he tried to grin at the worried man.

"S'nothing. Jus' a little scratch. Nothin' to worry 'bout." Remus frowned, well damn; he was slurring worse than he thought. It was odd, he was bleeding everywhere, he was slurring and his vision was fuzzy, but he wasn't in any pain. How peculiar. This couldn't possibly be right. Wait, where the hell were they going? He didn't want to move, the wall was quite lovely really. Black was such a wonderfully dull color, wasn't it? Much better than red; red was far too vivid, it hurt one's eyes.

Remus blinked slowly, trying and failing to open the left one. Well, thought Remus, this certainly puts a damper on things doesn't it?

A warm washcloth was pulled across his forehead, sticking on a cut. Remus groaned and tried to push it away. Another hand caught Remus's and pulled it to a set of warm and dry lips.

"Don't try to move just yet, your body took a lot of damage. Pomfrey had to stitch you up quite a bit. Over a hundred stitches! Are you quite happy with yourself?"

"Rather." mumbled Remus, his mouth felt like it had cotton balls stuffed in it. It was an all-together uncomfortable feeling and he wanted his toothbrush.

"I'm glad you're feeling so dandy. I'll have you know I nearly worried my hair out when you came stumbling into the house. Had me in a fine situation, didn't you? "

Remus looked at the blob that he thought was Sirius's head "You lie."

"I would never!"

"You, sir, are a compulsive liar. I don't believe a word you're saying. Worrying your hair out indeed." huffed Remus, smiling to belie his sarcastic tone.

"Yeah, well, you're a loony. Loony, loony Lupin!"

"I would hit you if I felt better."

"Then I'd better be glad you feel like shit, now hadn't I?" said Sirius, putting his arms around the beaten man. Remus smiled and went back to sleep. He wondered how long he had been out. But did it really matter? With Sirius's warm weight pressing against him, snow on the windowsill, and the low tunes of the Wizarding Wireless pulsing against his eardrums, he decided it really didn't matter. Even if he had missed Harry and Christmas, it truly didn't matter for once.

/page break/

Remus held tightly to the struggling body in his arms, trying to fight his own tears. Harry twisted left, then right, and back again, trying to get to the veil that dominated the rocky chamber. Remus hugged the poor boy to him, burying his head in the unruly hair before him. All time seemed to stop, there was no sound, there was no fighting, and all there was was grief, tangible and unrelenting. The agony was so thick that it was impossible to see for all the tears. There was a battle going on around them, wasn't he supposed to be fighting? Who cared? Who cared now that Sirius was gone? Sirius would never hold him, smile at him, make love to him, or be delightfully stupid ever again. He had passed through that fucking veil, never to return.

He felt Harry break free of his arms and fly towards the laughing Bellatrix. Remus didn't have the heart to stop the child. Because that's what Harry was; a child. A child who had lost the one person who showed him love. A child who was destined to fight a war so much bigger than he was. A child who only wanted to be loved by somebody. A child that was so much like Remus it was terrifying.

Remus sensed sound rushing back to him as a yellow spell flew past his shoulder. All he seemed to be able to do was stare at the veil that had ripped the love of his life away from him once more. Kingsley rushed past him, pushing Remus to the rocky floor. He winced as he felt the skin on his palms rip apart. As the blood rushed to the fleshy wound, Remus felt a warm body hit his back.

"Remus! Are you okay? You weren't hit were you?" One of these days Remus was going to rip Nymphadora's head off her shoulders.

/page break/

"Poor man's in shock I think. Hasn't spoken a word since the Ministry." Remus really wished people would stop talking about him behind his back. It got very annoying. He really wished Nymphadora would stop hanging off him as well; it was only slightly degrading.

"Well, how would you feel if you lost your last friend to a bloody possessed curtain?" Oh, very nice. Remus felt great about himself now. He had other friends. He had plenty of them, he just spent most of his time with…oh, who was he kidding? Sirius was the only one who spoke to him on a regular basis.

"I would feel terrible. But that doesn't mean he needs to mope about for three weeks."

Remus sighed and stood, the two nosy people quieted. "Maybe you should talk about people where they can't hear you."

Hephzibah Coils and Frederick Bangleforsch had the good grace to look ashamed of themselves. Remus couldn't have cared less.

He climbed the stairs to his bedroom. Once again it was his bedroom, not 'ours'. Because Sirius was gone, wasn't he? Remus clambered onto the bed and tried to not cry. It was so hard though, trying to pretend you weren't hurt more than you actually were. Because not many people knew what Sirius and Remus had been to each other.

What made it worse was the fact that the bedding seemed to permanently smell of Sirius and Remus wouldn't let Molly change it. The poor woman had tried to get the sheets off the bed for so long, he wondered why she wouldn't give it up. The sheets were never coming off.

"Remus?"

"Yes, Nymphadora?"

"We're ready to go get Harry and the others from the station. Are you coming with us?"

Remus sighed, "Yes, let me get my coat."

"Okay!" The girl fairly bounced out of the room. And Remus bade her well with that optimism. It wouldn't be long before the whole thing came crashing down on her.

/page break/

Poor Harry was trying to be so brave about everything. If one looked hard enough they could see the strain that he was under and, of course, Dumbledore was packing him off to the Dursley's house! He watched Molly coo all over Harry and Remus felt a flash of hot and irrational anger. Harry didn't want or need coddling! He needed someone to understand where he was coming from, he needed someone who wouldn't blow his questions off with kind words and food, Harry needed a friend. A friend who wouldn't look at him like he was a science project or a friend who got jealous at the drop of the hat.

Remus didn't doubt that Ron and Hermione were good friends but they tended to fall back on their personalities when things got rough. His newest friends simply weren't around enough to be of much help; although Neville was more understanding, simply because he'd been there.

The small group watched Harry walk out of King's Cross, his uncle staring at him the entire way. The Weasley's followed soon after leaving Moody, Nymphadora, and Remus standing there. Joyous of all joys, thought Remus.

"Hey Remus, do you want to go to lunch with me?"

"Not really, Nymphadora. I'm sorry," said Remus, walking away so as not to see the poor girl's devastated face. He heard Moody mumbling condolences and words of comfort. It was laughable really and Remus nearly turned to say so. He decided at the last minute that that was too callous and didn't.

Remus walked out of King's Cross station, miserable and exhausted, wishing to be somewhere else right then.

A/N: Here you go! Hope I didn't make anyone too sad. Keep in mind people that it will get sadder from here on out.


	17. A Difficult Turn

Standard Disclaimer Applies!

Becoming Moony: A Difficult Turn

Goddess, but he hated himself sometimes. How had he managed to get himself into such a mess? Sleeping with the damn girl had seemed like a great idea at the time. He had just wanted her to stop bothering him constantly. He had tried everything, making excuses, lying, and doing various inconsiderate things that generally pissed people off. She wouldn't bloody piss off! So what did he do? He went and slept with the stupid bint! And he was supposed to be the intelligent one, wasn't he?

One little mistake and here he was getting _married_! He knew Sirius and James were up there laughing their asses off at him. Well that was just fine wasn't it? They were all fine and dandy up there and here he was ruining his life. Well, ruining it even more than it already was, because his life was pretty screwy.

"Isn't it exciting? We're getting married! Oh, mother thought this day would never come! And here it is!" squealed the excitable bride.

Dear Lord, thought Remus, please let me make it out alive. I swear I will never do anything wrong or ask for anything ever again! Just don't let her mention…

"And soon, we'll have a baby! Aren't you excited?" Oh, yes, Sirius and James were laughing their rear ends off somewhere.

/page break/

Harry was such a brat! He just didn't understand how Remus felt. He shouldn't have to sit at home with a wife he didn't want! He hardly knew what to do with himself!

"Great, I'm turning into an angst ridden teenager again, haven't I already served my time?" murmured Remus, throwing his hands up in the air.

"Remus? What are you talking about?" Remus turned to smile grimly at Nymphadora.

"Nothing. Just…musing. Wondering what's going to happen next?" replied Remus, shrugging. Nymphadora came to stand next to Remus and put her arms around his waist.

Remus sighed and hugged her, Harry was right. He couldn't just abandon Dora and his child! It wasn't in his nature. He sighed and rested his head against the shocking pink hair. He could already feel the small bump that told him exactly why he was still around.

Things were getting so dangerous that Remus didn't even want Dora to step outside for anything. He wished that he could put Dora and the baby in a box and seal it away until he was ready for them both.

"Remus?"

"Hmm?"

"You love me, right?" Oh, dear. How to answer that? He did care for Dora, that was practically a given. She saw past the whole dangerous werewolf bit, had married him of her own free will, and was carrying his child. But he didn't care for her the way he had cared for Sirius. What to say, what to say?

"Remus?"

"Of course I do, Dora. You know that." Well, a little lie wouldn't hurt her. It wouldn't hurt him either. He had seen her hormonal madness and it wasn't pretty. The last time it had happened Ted Tonks and he had run for the hills while Andromeda had sorted her out. It wasn't his fault that the full moon had coincided with her birthday.

"You had better." Remus flinched and turned around, already miserable. Andromeda Black was a very intimidating woman, especially when she was protecting Dora.

"Mum, don't be so mean. Remus is trying. It's just hard, right?" Remus grinned down at her, glad that she was at least on his side for now.

"Dora, why don't you come help me with dinner? I could use the help."

"All right." Dora unwrapped herself from Remus and meandered toward the kitchen.

Remus watched with worry as Andromeda came up to him. She glared down at him; she had no great liking for him. Remus didn't have a great liking for himself at that particular moment in any case.

"If you hurt my baby, I will make sure that you see my cousin a whole lot sooner than you planned."

"Uh, what?"

"Do not pretend that you were not intimately involved with Sirius, don't even think about it. The only reason I haven't ratted you out to my daughter is because of how she feels about you. That is the only reason."

Remus felt his eyes widen and his face drain of all color. "Um, well…"

"Sirius used to owl me you know. While he was still at school he would write to me about the most wonderful boy in the world. How he was so caring, so gentle, and how he made Sirius feel loved. Well, I've met that boy and you, sir, are not him."

Remus had to sit down as he watched Andromeda stalk away from him. What was he doing? He couldn't do this. He couldn't hurt Dora like this!

"Leaving will hurt her worse, Remus, you know that." said Ted Tonks. Great, first he was yelled at and insulted and now he was being guilt tripped into staying. It was not his day today.

"But, I…"

"You don't love my daughter, I know. But, unlike my wife I think you are incredibly caring and brave to stay around something you don't particularly want. To tell you the truth, I wasn't sure about Romy at the time I married her either."

"Thank you. That means a lot."

"I remember Romy talking about Sirius a lot. She said he was her favorite cousin. She always said he had the greatest friends. There was one boy in particular, she said, that made her baby cousin glow. It was a boy who had the most gorgeous eyes and the most caring nature she had ever seen. You."

Remus swallowed hard, this was not the way he wanted things to be. It was too hard on his emotions and nerves.

"I know that this isn't what you want, Remus. Romy knows that as well. That's why she's mad. She thinks that you don't want Dora at all and that all you want is a "quick fix". I know that's not true, you know it's not, and Dora knows it. Just keep doing what you're doing and you'll be fine." Ted patted Remus's knee and stood. Dora appeared in the doorway, motioning towards the dining nook before moving on.

"Just be careful with my baby girl, Remus. It won't take much to hurt her anymore. Sirius meant a lot to her. She remembered him, you know. You might want to consider telling her about the two of you. It will hurt but she'll appreciate it."

"Thank you, Ted. It means a lot to me for you to be so understanding."

"No problem, but don't think that if you hurt her you'll get away with it. I'll make sure you experience something far worse than death.

"Yes, sir."

/page break/

Remus looked down at the scrunched up and screaming face below him. This angelic creature couldn't possibly be his. The little boy in Remus's arms screamed louder and waved his little fists, his displeasure evident.

"You aren't supposed to just stare at him you know," said Tonks, wincing in discomfort.

"I can stare at him all I like, Dora. He's far too cute to ignore." Nymphadora smiled and sat up against the pile of pillows. Remus glanced back down at the little face.

"He looks like a true Black, doesn't he?" asked Tonks. Remus nodded, somewhat miserable in the fact that the baby didn't just look like a Black, he looked like Sirius. Black hair, high cheekbones, wide eyes, and a yell that could wake the dead, he was Sirius all over.

Little Teddy whimpered and finally quieted down, lying quietly in his father's arms. Now he knew how his parents felt, mused Remus, he couldn't imagine the pain of having something hurt his little boy. He could finally identify with James in the need to protect and love his tiny child.

Remus leant forward and placed a kiss on Teddy's forehead, smiling as the boy whimpered and curled further into his duck yellow blanket. The movement placed him closer to Remus and he hugged the tiny form to his chest. He would never let anything happen to his baby boy, even if it killed him.

"Teddy Remus Lupin. You're going to be a star. I know it," murmured Remus against the smooth skin.

/page break/

He was going to kill the little brat if he didn't stop that infernal screaming. He wasn't ready to deal with this today. The full moon had been last night and it had been a bad one. Moony knew something was wrong with the world. Hell, everyone and everything knew there was something wrong.

Where the hell was Dora? It was her turn to take care of Teddy; he had woken up with him for the last four nights! Remus sat up and noticed a slip of paper lying on the pillow next to him.

_Remus, I've had to go up to work for the day. They desperately need the help in sorting things out. Mum has gone to Paris for weekend. Hope this doesn't cause any problems. I'll be home as soon as I can. Love you! Dora._

Forget killing Teddy, he was going to kill Nymphadora and Andromeda for leaving him a newborn after a full moon. He didn't think he could move for all the pain. Teddy's screams got higher and Remus sighed, there was nothing for it. Remus heaved himself up off the bed, wincing at the tearing.

"Shhh, baby. I'm here. Calm down." Remus whispered, picking up his now golden blond baby. The bright sapphire blue eyes blinked up at him, tears rolling down his chubby cheeks.

"Calm down, cub. It's all right." Remus knew Dora would have his head if she knew he had called Teddy 'cub'. She didn't like any reference to the fact that Remus was a werewolf and that her darling baby could have such a horrible genetic flaw. It wasn't that Dora didn't like the fact that Remus was a werewolf; it was the fact that the particular gene could have been passed on to her precious child.

Andromeda seemed to dislike Remus even more now that Teddy had been born. She never spoke to him and always gave him an evil look. He didn't know what he could do to make her like him even a little bit.

She was probably waiting for him to tell Dora about his relationship with Sirius. She was mistaken if she thought he was going to tell Dora before Teddy was old enough to understand. There was a very good chance that Dora would walk out on him when he told her and he didn't want Dora to make stories up. He wanted Teddy to understand why he had left or been left. He didn't want Andromeda or Dora to tell Teddy that he hadn't been wanted and that was why Remus had left. Teddy wasn't going to think that Remus didn't love him.

Teddy had gone silent and Remus looked down to make sure he was okay. The baby was looking up at him with wide eyes. Sirius's eyes, Remus noted. They were pale grey and had a mischievous twinkle; it was if Sirius was looking at him through his baby's eyes. It was a frightening thing, especially since Teddy's hair was seeping into a charcoal black. Remus wished that Teddy wouldn't do that; it was painful enough knowing that he had betrayed Sirius. He didn't want the memories.

As if sensing his father's pain, Teddy scrunched up his nose and his hair went neon lime green. He opened his eyes and Remus was met with bright pink.

"Oh, that's lovely sweetheart. Your mummy will be so proud."

A/N: There it is. Definitely shorter than normal, but I think that it will work out in the end.


	18. Eternal

Standard Disclaimer Applies

Becoming Moony: Eternal

There was so much confusion. There was blood and gore everywhere. It was in his skin even, gore hung from trees and dripped from bushes. It was truly disgusting but Remus paid in no mind. There was no time to think about what you were stepping upon or what was falling into your hair. There was no time to think of anything but battle.

Remus ducked and threw himself to the ground in hopes of the curse missing. It did, but not by much. He felt the Stinging Hex pass across his right shoulder and fairly howled in repressed pain.

The Death Eater fell to his knees, a dagger like piece of metal hanging from his chest. Neville Longbottom helped Remus to his feet, brushing blood from his face with a handkerchief.

"Be careful, Professor. They're out to get you." Neville ran past him in a hurry, wanting to help out as much as possible. Remus couldn't blame him, they were vastly out-numbered and it looked as though help wouldn't be arriving at all. He had been at this for three hours already and he was exhausted. There was no point to all this blood. How could anybody see anything?

Remus flung himself behind a tree; just missing a cutting curse flung at his neck. He hoped Dora was all right, he had lost track of her twenty minutes in. He sighed, hoping that she had gone home. Poor Teddy, Remus was so glad that he was nowhere near this catastrophic gore.

"Remus! Look out for god's sake! We don't need anymore deaths." Kingsley yelled as he ran by. Remus nodded and moved further into the forest. He had always felt at home here, no matter what form he took. Maybe the foliage would help distract him from all the death so that he might concentrate.

He snuck up behind a Death Eater who was urinating on a tree of all things. Remus shook his head and leant against the trunk of another tree. The Death Eater finished, turned, and was met with Remus's curse. The man fell to the ground, silent.

Remus moved further into the forest, it was getting much darker here. The trees were so dense that you could barely move. But Remus knew that a break in the trees would come soon. The trees would open up and reveal the Whomping Willow. His home away from home, snorted Remus.

There it was, and it was miraculously free of Death Eaters. In fact, it was nearly silent here. Must have been too far away from the castle. He could hear the battle going on in the distance, but time seemed to have stopped in this place. Even the Willow wasn't moving. It was easy to see why. The roots had been blasted away from the ground and a gaping hole could be seen from a great distance. The branches hung limply from their places, never to swing again. It was dead a long with everything else.

Remus moved into the ground, placing a hand along the rocky wall so as not to fall. He hadn't been down here in a long time. Well, it seemed like a long time. It had only been four years. Four long years, in which too many things had happened.

As Remus stepped further into the tunnel he never saw a flash of a black cloak, nor did he hear a whispered curse. A killing curse. He felt it hit his back, however, he felt it strike right between his shoulder blades. A true hit then. He would have turned to commend the Death Eater that he hadn't seen, but by then he was gone. His spirit floated quietly away, one word left upon his lip. "Teddy."

/page break/

_Remus Lupin was a delicate five-year-old, small and golden. He was also being very naughty. His mama had told him not to go outside at night, but how could he, how could anyone, ignore such a warm and wonderful night like this? So Remus, being as quiet as he could, snuck out of his bed, stole down the stairs and out the back door. Now he wandered as freely as a bird, exploring his surroundings with the curiosity of a weasel._

_The sudden snapping of a twig brought Remus's attention to a small alcove created by bushes. A pair of yellow eyes gleamed out from the darkness. Remus was not frightened, however, as it was, quite obviously, a dog of some sort and Remus loved dogs of all shapes and sizes. He approached the mass slowly, not wanting to scare the canine into running away._

_"Here doggy, doggy. Come 'ere, I won't hurt you." cajoled Remus, putting his hand out towards the animal._

_As the lumbering mass came stumbling towards him, Remus realized his mistake. This was no ordinary dog. In fact, Remus didn't even think it was a dog anymore. As the canine moved into the moonlight, Remus choked out a startled scream. It was no dog, it was a wolf. A giant, salivating werewolf!_

_Remus started to stumble away, another scream stuck in his throat. As the grey wolf lunged at him, the scream that stuck stubbornly to him came bubbling up and out of his mouth. As the moon began to set, Remus Lupin's tortured screams echoed into the night._

_/page break/_

_"Gryffindor!"_

_/page break/_

_One boy was shorter than most boys, not including Remus, who was the smallest, had hazel eyes, black hair that looked as though it had been through a tornado, and wore glasses. The other was of average size, had grey eyes that sparkled with laughter. He also had black hair but it laid flat. They both had a haughtiness that came only with purebloods. They were, also, freshly sorted Gryffindors. Wonderful, thought Remus, life really wasn't fair_

_/page break/_

_"Remus?" It was Sirius, Remus thought as he slunk down the side of the tiled wall, praying that Sirius wouldn't start anything. That he would give up if Remus didn't answer him. _

_"Remus, I know you're here. I can hear you breathing. Can we talk?"_

_Remus sighed, "About what?" _

_"A little of this, a little of that. You know, bonding stuff." Sirius said, a small chuckle escaping him. _

_Remus rolled his eyes. Even when he was trying to be serious, he was a nut. Remus decided that talking couldn't hurt; maybe he was worrying about nothing. _

_"I'll be out in a minute Sirius."_

_"Okay. I'll meet you down in the Common room, alright?" _

_"Alright." _

_The door closed again and Remus sighed. Hopefully Sirius was just being silly and didn't really know anything._

_/page break/_

_"I think I'm in love with you."_

_Remus couldn't move, he couldn't speak. Sirius had just confessed his love for him and he didn't want to wake up and find that it was a dream. _

_"And like you said, it shouldn't matter if you don't feel the same. I can deal with that. It's not like…"_

_"Sirius?"_

_"Huh?"_

_"Shut up and kiss me." Remus stated before pulling Sirius's face to his. He felt like being spontaneous and this was as spontaneous as he could get at the moment. _

_Their first kiss together wasn't perfect. It was nervous and full of teeth and awkward limbs, but it was theirs. It was a moment that they could share for, hopefully, years to come. _

_All Remus could think of was how well they seemed to fit together and how incredibly lucky he was. To find someone who didn't care about his furriness or any secrets he ended up keeping. As he ran his hands up into the black liquid curls, he knew this was what love was. _

_/page break/_

_Lily was absolutely stunning in her dress. The white silk charmuese dripped down her body and pooled around her feet, dragging behind her as she walked. The form fitting ivory bodice sat upon her like a second skin. The rouging that pulled the eye downward ended in a diagonal with bunches of tiny rosettes and lilies. They lay flat against her right hip and waist and only added to the beauty of the dress. The square neckline accentuated her graceful neck and collarbone and drew you upwards. The long opaque sleeves fell along her upper arms and cut at the elbow, draping and falling down towards the floor she walked upon. _

_/page break/_

_As Remus held the bundle of baby, he wondered how such a little guy could hold everyone under his thumb. Harry would soon develop his own personality and Remus wasn't sure how that was possible. For something so small, growing into himself was a miracle. The tiny body curled closer and whimpered. He quieted down and wrapped a miniature hand into the navy blue cashmere sweater Sirius had bought him for Christmas. A chorus of 'awes' came from around the room and made Remus smile. A baby was wonderful, they couldn't be racist and they didn't have any prejudices, they just were. This small creature didn't care that Remus was a werewolf, that he had next to no money, and that he wasn't the most handsome of people. Harry just cared that Remus had a warm body, a strong heartbeat, and would hold him till Remus's arms gave out._

_"You can't have him back, Prongs. He's mine now," whispered Remus, still staring at the little body in his arms. Laughter erupted from the small hospital room. Sirius gave a whoop and started to do a little jig. _

_"That baby is going to have everyone so wrapped around his fist that he will get away with everything. And then some." said Lily, putting her arms across her chest. James smiled and put his arm around her, kissing her forehead. _

_"That's okay, for now at least." _

_/page break/_

_Remus stared at the wall, disbelief evident in his every movement. He couldn't believe it. He wouldn't believe it! They couldn't be gone! Not all of them! They were all he had left! _

_/page break/_

"_Bye, Remmie." whispered Sirius, pressing a kiss against Remus's cheek. Remus gasped and pressed a hand against the spot as Sirius flew off to some unknown frontier._

_/page break/_

Remus opened his eyes and found himself in a room he would never have thought possible. His bedroom. His bedroom in Lupin Cottage. Remus stepped out of bed and walked down the same creaking stairs he remembered. He entered the kitchen and nearly fell over in shock.

"Hi, baby. Sleep well?" Helena Lupin turned from where she was making chocolate chip pancakes to give her son a smile. John Lupin looked up from his paper to grin at the gob smacked look on his son's face.

"Weren't expecting us, were you?"

"Huh?"

"We're here to help you, sweetie. All of the newly dead have guides. They're generally parents."

"Newly…dead?"

"Yes, baby. You didn't think that this was a dream did you?" Remus had in fact thought it was a dream. A very cruel dream at that. But then everything came rushing back to him: the war, the Death Eater he hadn't expected, Teddy. Oh, Lord…Teddy!

"What…how…I'm so confused." Helena smiled. She came around the table and wrapped her arms around her poor child.

"It's all right, Remmie. You'll be okay. But right now you have to go and help Harry. The poor thing is being beaten into the ground."

"Harry? How do you…?"

"How do I know about Harry?" Helena nodded, smiling; "Everyone here knows about Harry, we've been helping him out for years."

"Years…. how do I…?"

"Get to him? Don't worry Rem. Just think about him and you'll find him. Now go on, your friends are waiting for you."

Remus focused on Harry and felt his body fading away. He had a last glimpse of his parents before he was whipped away in a flash of white and gold.

/page break/

"You have to make a choice, Remmie. You have to decide whom to spend eternity with," said Helena, running her fingers through Remus's hair. The whole mess with Harry and Voldemort had frayed his nerves. He didn't want to have to make life-changing decisions!

"How do I choose? I can stay with anyone! I can't make that decision. Can I pick them all?" asked Remus, raising hopeful eyes to his mother. John laughed and patted Remus's hand.

"No, Rem, you can't. It doesn't work like that. I chose to stay with your mother and her with me. It has to be a unanimous choice. Both have to want to be with the other. I know for a fact that Nymphadora Tonks is with her father right now. And James is with Lily, of course. They're just waiting for Harry now. You get a choice, yes, but it isn't an easy one. There's no visiting either." John gave a sad smile.

"We were hoping you would stay with us, but I doubt you will."

Remus looked at his mother, "Why's that?"

"Because there's a very handsome young man waiting for you in a small London flat."

Remus felt his eyes fill with tears, "Sirius? He's waiting for me?"

"Of course, sweetheart. He came to us, you know. When he died…he didn't want to see his parents. We were so excited to see him; we hadn't seen anyone before him. He said that he wanted to wait for you. We sent him on his way and promised to tell you he was waiting."

Remus looked down at the worn carpet and thought. He started when his hand went see through. He looked up at his parents in alarm, surprised to see them smiling.

"What's happening?"

"You've made your choice, sweetie. Go on, we'll see you later."

"But you said…"

"Go, Rem. We love you."

Remus felt the tears roll down his face as his parents disappeared from view once more. He felt a couch rematerialize underneath him as he cried. He knew he wouldn't see his parents again and it made it hard, knowing he had lost them twice.

"No crying Remmie. We've got too long for you to be sad." Remus twisted around in shock, quickly taking in the flat. It was still dilapidated and strewn with books. He was still sitting on that horrendous velvet couch. Sirius was lounging in the doorway, looking better than he had in years. He was wearing a most delicious pair of black leather trousers and a white dress shirt, completely unbuttoned. He looked exactly like he had at twenty-one. Remus thought he must look a fright.

"No crying, got it. Anymore rules?'

"Just one."

"What's that?"

"You have to kiss me to find out." Remus smiled and stood. Sirius met him halfway and their lips met in the sweetest kiss either had ever had. As their lips met again and again, Remus had the presence of mind to ask about the second rule.

"You can't dwell on the past. Just the now. It's always about the now."

Remus knew he could agree to that.

A.N: Damn! I got that done in three hours! I'm so proud of me! This isn't over yet! Two more chapters! Hang on!

I realized that some might have an issue with the whole life after death version I've got going on. Just think about it in the way that you are meant to be with the one's you care for most. There will be a better explanation of it in the last chapter. So, bear with me, okay?


	19. Teddy

Standard Disclaimer Applies!

Becoming Moony: Teddy

"Shit!" came the startled voice of seventeen-year-old Teddy Lupin. He blinked tiredly at the mound of boxes that had come tumbling down from their resting place to sit at his knees.

"Teddy? Are you okay?" Teddy turned as Harry stepped through the door.

"I'm fine. Why do you and Aunt Ginny have so much junk up here? It's going to attack the children one day and then you'll be sorry." Harry laughed as he pushed a couple of the boxes aside.

"It's just things we've never done anything with. I was supposed to clean it out three weeks ago, but I procrastinated."

"Naw, really?"

Teddy ducked as Uncle Harry's hand came flying up behind him, barely missing the swat to the back of his head. The two men scurried to put away the boxes before Ginny returned. The boxes were cleaned up and stacked neatly before either noticed the large brown trunk that looked as though it had seen far better days.

"What's this?" said Teddy, crouching down next to the trunk. Harry got a very sad look on his face before he answered.

"That was your dad's school trunk. I had forgotten that I had it."

"Oh," mumbled Teddy, "What's in it?"

Harry shrugged, "I don't know. I've never opened it. It had your name on it when I got it though."

"Can I open it?" asked Teddy, excitement in his eyes. Harry smiled and nodded.

"Let's move it downstairs and you can open it in better light. Before we do let's finish cleaning this mess up, okay?"

"Do I have to?" Teddy cowered as Harry gave him the look of doom. He mumbled a quick 'never mind' and picked up another box, giving his godfather a cheeky look.

The two got the rest of the mess cleared away and the attic swept in record time. Both were desperate to see what was in Remus Lupin's school trunk.

/page break/

The lid creaked open with agonizing slowness. It was even more frustrating in the fact that it wouldn't move any faster without falling off its hinges. The whole process was quite maddening.

The lid fell back with a thump and a cloud of dust. Harry and Teddy fell back, but still got a face full of dust. They coughed painfully and moved back to look in the enigma. What they found wasn't what they expected. For all the weight they had expected a huge pile of scholarly books, what they got was far better.

Under a pile of school robes and a pair of tight looking leather trousers lay pages of parchment, each covered in Remus's handwriting. Several old looking paperbacks were stacked neatly around a stack of photos wrapped in a gold bow tie. A worn looking blue sweater lay piled beside it looking worse for the wear. There were many more treasures waiting to be found, but a flash of white caught Teddy's attention. A small white envelope lay on top of it all, the word "Teddy" written in Remus's curly script.

Teddy unfolded the letter with trembling fingers. He had never met his parents, but he had heard plenty about how wonderful and vivacious his mother had been. She was all Grandma could talk about. Strangely, whenever he mentioned Remus he was met with a stony face and a "go ask Harry". Harry wasn't too keen on speaking about his father either, he claimed that he hadn't known Remus that well and didn't feel comfortable speaking too much about him.

_Teddy, if you're reading this then I have passed on. I never intended on leaving you like I have. If I had had my way I would have spent long years with you before showing you what is in this trunk. I never wanted to leave you either, Harry. I wish I could have taken care of you the way your parents wanted me to. _

_Inside this trunk lays my history, the way I want it to be told. Some of the secrets that this trunk holds you may not want to hear. Hell, Harry may not want to hear it either. I want you to hear me out, Teddy. No matter what you see or find, I want you to know that I did and do love you, always. Some of the things in my past weren't ever supposed to be brought up, but I feel that you have the right to know. _

_Please listen, Teddy. Listen and learn. Keep your mind wide open and think of the possibilities, don't let anyone influence you, not even your grandmother. I love you and am always thinking about you._

_Remus John Lupin_

Teddy handed the letter to Harry and reached into the trunk, ready to discover his father's secrets.

"Are you sure you're ready for this, Teddy. It will probably contain things you might not want to know."

"He's my dad, Harry. I don't care if he's done some horrible things! I want to know about him and no one will tell me about him. I'll find out on my own."

Harry sighed, "Your dad was very private. He doesn't want too many people to know."

"I know. That's why only you and I will ever know about this trunk. You'll hold onto it for me, right?"

"Of course. Now then, let's uncover some secrets." Teddy and Harry settled themselves on the floor and began to dig.

/page break/

Teddy looked down at the photos on his bed. He couldn't believe some of the things he had uncovered in that trunk. Was this really true? Or just an elaborate prank designed by Uncles Fred and George? If it was a joke it sure wasn't funny, Harry had actually cried when some of the things were revealed. Teddy felt like crying himself, his father was not what he had expected. Nor what he truly wanted. He had wanted the father everyone claimed he had been: brave, loyal, and totally in love with his mother. What he got was a cheating, ruined, GAY man! This was not what he wanted!

Teddy didn't think Harry was that much better off than him. He had a secretive godfather! Of course, Sirius Black may have had a better excuse for his oddities. Inbreeding, Azkaban induced insanity, things like that tended to screw with your head. Remus Lupin didn't have anything like that. Sure he was a werewolf, but that wasn't really a big deal.

He glared at the photos once more before swiping them off with a wave of his hand. Remus Lupin's life fluttered to the ground in swirling circles. Teddy buried his head in his knees and tried desperately not to cry. He couldn't seem to put his vision of his father together with the actuality. It hurt, a lot.

"Teddy?" Harry stepped into the room, gazing sadly at the many photos that littered the blue rug.

"What?"

"I want you to know that this doesn't change who Remus was. He was a great man and would have been an even greater father. So what if he had some quirks, everyone does, don't they?"

"I hardly think that being "in love" with my grandmother's cousin and not caring one bit about my mother counts as a "quirk". I really don't."

"Remus did care about your mother. He just didn't love her the way he loved Sirius. I'm about as shocked as you are, but I realize that things are never as they seem. You should know that better than anyone. Here, I found this journal in the bottom. I think you should read it. It might give you more insight to who Remus was." Harry tossed a black, leather bound notebook onto the bed before bending to amass the pictures. He shuffled them lightly, placing most of them on the dresser. He took one and put in just beside Teddy's fingers and left.

Teddy picked up the photo and looked at it. It was a photo of his father, Sirius Black, and Harry's parents. Harry was being balanced between the four of them, wiggling and giggling. They all looked so happy. Shame was that Teddy knew what had happened to them all. He flipped the journal open and let the words of his father wash over him.

/page break/

Three hours and twelve hundred pages later Teddy thought that he had a better understanding of who Remus had been. It wasn't that Remus hadn't wanted his mother or him; it was that he hadn't had a choice in the end.

Teddy trudged downstairs and found Harry in the living room. Harry was gently running a Gryffindor scarf through his fingers, a black "S.B" sewn into the end. Teddy had forgotten that Harry had gone through as much as he had, maybe more. Harry had actually known Remus; it must have been a shock for him as well.

"Harry."

"Hmm?"

"You're right. It wasn't that my dad was a bad person he just had some differences. Right?" Harry smiled at the teen that had curled up against his side.

"Right. Your dad was great. He really was, he just had a lot of hardships in his life and dealt with them in a different way. He didn't want to hurt you. He just wanted you to be old enough to understand his choices before he told you. It didn't quite end up the way he wanted, but I think he would be proud of you. No matter what you thought of him."

Teddy nodded, miserable. He had jumped to so many conclusions and he was glad his dad wasn't around to see it. He was ashamed of himself. He was always talking about how differences were good for culture and the first time he encountered it, he went berserk!

Harry slung an arm around the miserable boy and prayed for patience. He knew Teddy hadn't quite gotten it through his head, but would get through it in the end.

/page break/

Harry slipped inside of Teddy's temporary bedroom, intending to make sure the distraught teen was okay. What he saw made him smile. Teddy was curled up under his navy blue duvet, sound asleep. Next to his head was a photo: a younger Remus and Sirius were grinning up at him, their arms curled around the other. In Teddy's arms was a beaten and battered stuffed animal. Its black eyes were drooping and the brown fur was matted but there was no mistaking the wolf named Moon.

A/N: There you go! Dang I'm getting these out at the speed of light!


	20. All Together Now

Standard Disclaimer Applies! UN-BETAD!!!! My beta is on temporary leave and if you find a mistake please point it out! I will post betad chapter as soon as possible.

Becoming Moony: All Together Now

"I can't wait."

"Yes, you can."

"What happens if he doesn't like me?"

"He will."

"What if he wants to stay with his mother?"

"I doubt it."

"But…"

"Shut up."

Remus glared at the irritating man beside him and went back to wringing his hands. Sirius rolled his eyes, clearly exasperated.

"Only you would be excited for your child's death." Remus huffed and shifted his pose, bouncing on the balls of his feet.

"I'm not excited! I'm just…nervous! That's it, I'm nervous! There's a very good chance that Teddy would rather stay with his mother or his wife and children than with me!"

Sirius snorted and grabbed one of the long hands beside him, "You are a liar and a bad one at that."

Remus shook his head and started to speak when a pale glow started pulsating around the bed. Remus fairly shook with excitement.

"See, I told you he would be here. Besides, you know you'd see him eventually."

"Yeah, once every thousand years! Great visitation rights."

Remus moved to the bed as his son's sleeping body drifted into view. He stopped in shock at what lay before him.

"His hair's blue."

Sirius tilted his head to the side, "I'd say more of a turquoise, but yeah, it's blue. Looks good on him though."

"That is not the point! My child's hair is blue! That is an entirely too wild color, I don't understand…!"

"Down, Daddy." Sirius pressed a kiss to the fretting father's cheek. "He's expressing himself."

"Expressing himself, my ass!"

"And a very cute ass, might I add."

"Stop flirting with my dad when I'm trying to sleep." Teddy raised his head from the pillow, blinking at the two men.

"Yes, sir. He's authoritative like you, it's cute!" Sirius leant forward and patted the boy's head.

"Hey! I'm not something to be petted! I'll have you know that I'm older than you…or I was. Just how old am I?" asked Teddy, standing. Remus smiled at his baby boy, who was too busy staring at his body in shock to notice.

"I would say a tall six. Don't you think, Remmie?"

"I agree. What, may I ask, is with the rather vibrant hair?" Remus asked, moving to ruffle it. Teddy looked at the ground sheepishly.

"I had a bit of a rebellious streak. Harry thought it was funny." Teddy replied, smiling.

"He would." mumbled Remus. Sirius grinned and looked very proud of his godson.

"So, I know you two are dead. Does that make me dead, also?" Teddy looked as though he didn't want to know the answer.

"Hey! He's smart like you too!"

/page break/

"So let me get this straight. I died and somehow ended up here, wherever here is, and am now expected to choose whom I spend eternity with. I only get to visit other…dead people every one thousand years or so and have to deal with the fact that I'm stuck as a six year old? I can only visit the living once and get absolutely no perks."

Remus and Sirius looked at each other before nodding, "That's about it. Kind of sucks, but you get used to it after a while. Time isn't measured really, you only know it's been a thousand when a bunch of people show up in your living room, or so we've heard. There are very few perks."

"Right. So am I staying with you two?"

Remus sighed, "I'm not going to force you, Teddy. You can choose who ever you'd like."

"I could stay with anyone? Harry and Ginny? Albus? Grandma? Mother? Merlin?"

"I don't advise Merlin, I hear he babbles something terrible." Teddy grinned at Sirius.

"Yes, Teddy, you can stay with anyone."

"Okay then. Where are mother and Harry and everyone else? Do they have spaces like this or are they different?"

"Well, your mother is with your Andromeda and Ted Tonks. Her parents, you know. Harry is with his parents and Albus Severus. Poor kid, what a horrible name. I'm pretty sure all of the Weasley's are together, minus Charlie. Nobody's sure where he is. Anyone else?"

"Yeah, has Scorpius Malfoy gotten here yet?"

Sirius made a face, "Why the hell would you want to know that?"

Remus elbowed Sirius, "Not quite yet, soon though. Why?"

Teddy gave an evil little grin for such a young child, "Well, as I recall it Albus Severus had a terrible crush on him. Wanted to know if anything had happened with that."

"Did he now? How delightfully entertaining! Did you hear that, Remmie?"

Remus nodded, "Yes, I did. Don't you dare tease him about it! You either, mister."

"Aww, why not?" asked Sirius and Teddy, pathetic looks on their faces.

/page break/

Teddy stared in amazement at the amount of people flowing through the halls of Hogwarts. There were people of all ages here, but the funny thing was that most of them had died at around the same time. Give or take fifty years, of course.

"Teddy!" Teddy swung around at the sound of his name. He laughed as he spotted Harry, a seventeen-year-old Harry.

"Hi, Uncle Harry. How are you?"

"Dead. What have you done to yourself? You're tiny!"

"Dad says I'm fun sized. Besides, I'm six! What's your excuse?" Teddy laughed and ran away as Harry chased after him.

"You'd better run, squirt!"

"Dad! Dad! Save me!"

Teddy ran past dozens of people, some he recognized and some he didn't. Minerva McGonagall laughed as they ran by before turning back to some man in a kilt. Twenty-five-year-old Albus Dumbledore cheered them on from his spot in Gilbert Grindlewald's arms. Weasley's of all shapes and sizes waved to them and returned to their chattering. Ginny, Ron, and Hermione smiled broadly before melting into the crowd. Severus Snape glared at the both of them before turning back to his chess game with Lucius Malfoy. Albus Severus Potter and Scorpius Malfoy looked up from where they were laying entangled together, Albus waving to his dad.

Friends and family rushed by as Teddy and Harry ran faster and faster. They weren't even chasing each other anymore; it was a race now. The two boys turned the corner and sped up, sprinting past the greenhouses.

As they burst out from the trees, they ran faster than they ever had. They could see their family just beyond the horizon, standing against the setting sun. Teddy laughed as he threw himself into Remus's arms. He was swung high into the air and finally settled on Remus's hip. Sirius's hand ran through his now black hair and settled on his back. Harry was now encompassed in his mother's arms, head resting against her shoulder. James had his arms around them both, grinning up at Sirius.

He was home, thought Teddy as he rested against both of his fathers, he was finally home. And he knew, he just knew, that Harry was thinking the same thing.

A/N: There you have it. It's done. **(sniff) **That's all she wrote. Well, that's not all she wrote. I have two stories planned and one on the way. The first chapter of Something Sweet should be up within the next few hours or days, it just depends.

I'm glad you've all stuck with me and I want to make some shout outs!

To the Reviewers: Paddy Waddy, The Falling Moon, Da One Me to Pwn You All, tehfanglyfish, Sakura evil twin of Sango, Kyro259, Lady Syren, Strange Magic, SetTheTruthFree, Grace Veronica, Queen Red Rum, Moon Set, MoonyIsTheMan, Dark Angel's Blue Fire, Mokubahv, Johnnycake

And to my beta: She has been wonderful as hell and hope to keep working with her. Lots of love!


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